Regulatory environment
Integration of active and passive technologies will be assisted when the actions of regulators have been clearly understood by potential petitioners.
The European Commission took a step in this direction by funding the Actipack Project.
This project involved the coordinated work of six research institutes and three commercial enterprises in evaluating existing active technologies and classifying them in terms of their regulatory features.
The migration of ingredients from some active packaging material was investigated, and results for two iron-based oxygen absorbers have been reported.
The outcome of the research project was a series of proposals froming a new Framework Directive to replace 89/109/EEC.
These amendments, if implemented, will provide clear mechanisms for introduction of further commercial developments in the field. Consideration of these proposed amendments is not expected before late 2004.