• The new Elizabeth Holmes documentary is reviving interest in the Theranos scandal.
• Hulu, Spotify, and Apple all saw audience growth for titles related to the Silicon Valley saga.
• The "You Can See Everything" doc, released on October 16, has quickly become a smash hit.

The new smash-hit documentary about disgraced biotech founder Elizabeth Holmes is fueling a fresh wave of fascination with the saga surrounding one of Silicon Valley's biggest scandals.

Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's film, "You Can See Everything," follows Holmes, the ex-CEO of blood-testing startup Theranos, in the weeks before she began her 11-year prison sentence for defrauding investors.

Ahead of the October 16 release of the nearly three-hour documentary, viewers flocked to Hulu's 2022 miniseries, "The Dropout," in which actor Amanda Seyfried starred as Holmes.

Streaming hours for the Hulu original show skyrocketed 186% in September over August and then surged 92% the week of "You Can See Everything's" release compared to the week prior, a spokesperson for Disney, which owns Hulu, said.

The eight-episode series, also available on Disney+, has been streamed for over 2 million hours since September, the spokesperson said.

The renewed spotlight on the rise and fall of Holmes' Theranos is also driving listeners back to ABC News' "The Dropout" — the true crime podcast on which Hulu's drama was based.

Plays of "The Dropout" podcast across Spotify and Apple climbed nearly 400% the week the "You Can See Everything" teaser trailer was released, from September 7 to September 13, according to data from ABC News provided by the Disney spokesperson.

Listenership was up more than 900% over the new film's release weekend and has continued to soar, the spokesperson said, adding that Tuesday saw the highest number of plays in a single day since "You Can See Everything" was announced.

A Spotify spokesperson told Business Insider that Wednesday marked the "The Dropout" podcast's biggest streaming day on the platform since the documentary's release, with a 305% uptick in US listeners compared to the average listening volume over the prior 30 days.

The audiobook of "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup," by journalist John Carreyrou, has also drawn a wave of new listeners. Carreyrou's reporting for The Wall Street Journal exposed Theranos' flawed blood testing devices.

According to the Spotify spokesperson, Carreyrou's audiobook saw its biggest spike Thursday, with a 560% jump in US listeners.

The book sat at No. 6 on Amazon's best seller list for business and money as of Friday.

In January 2022, following a nearly four-month trial, Holmes was convicted of four federal counts of conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to dupe investors in Theranos out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Holmes reported to a minimum-security women's prison camp in Texas on May 30, 2023, after being handed an 11-year-and-three-month sentence.

The onetime Silicon Valley darling repeatedly claimed Theranos — once valued at $9 billion — had developed a revolutionary blood analyzer capable of running hundreds of tests with only a few drops of blood from a finger.

Freelance journalists in Gaza are risking their lives to document the genocide, often with no protections from the news agencies that hire them and rely on their work.

• LeBron James' multimillion-dollar real estate portfolio is as impressive as his NBA career.
• His portfolio includes a $36.75 million Beverly Hills property where he's building a compound.
• He also purchased a home in Coconut Grove. Take a look at the homes he's owned over the years.

LeBron James has had a legendary run on the court. The four-time NBA champion has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and now the Philadelphia 76ers, winning titles with his first three teams.

His real estate portfolio has grown alongside his career. James has bought homes near most of the cities where he has played, building a multimillion-dollar collection of properties in the process.

Forbes estimates James' net worth to be $1.4 billion as of publication. Over the years, he has secured lucrative endorsement deals and business ventures with brands including Nike, Beats by Dre, PepsiCo, and Fanatics.

Now, James is reportedly living in a luxury building in New York City and commuting by helicopter to Philadelphia for 76ers games and to the team's practice facility in Camden, New Jersey (the flights are covered through his partnership with Fanatics) — a routine that has drawn criticism from some fans.

Take a look at some of the properties James has purchased over the years, from a custom-built home in Akron, Ohio, to a 13,000-square-foot mansion in Beverly Hills.

La stella dei Sixers si chiama Tyrese Mexey

Solo due partite, tanto basta per capire che LeBron James non ha voglia di scherzare a Philadelphia. Una media di oltre 15 punti, quasi 10 rimbalzi e 6 assist. Andate a vedervi le cifre a fine carriera di alcune tra le più longeve star del passato. Si, gente di “poco conto” tipo Karl Malone, Vince Carter o Patrick Ewing. Il Prescelto sta in universo a parte, non solo per le cifre. Anche per condizione atletica e intensità di gioco. Anche Jaylen Brown non è partito male, nonostante incastri e gerarchie abbiano ancora bisogno di tempo per acquisire fluidità e automatismi. Joel Embiid? È sembrato rassicurantemente in forma. A rimbalzo può dare sicuramente di più (come cantava qualcuno…), ma le ginocchia sono quelle che sono. Tuttavia, al momento, non sembra esserci discussione alcuna, la stella della squadra è un certo Tyres Maxey. E da queste fasi iniziali, i compagni di squadra sembrano anche averlo accettato di buon grado.

Talento irreale, guardia tiratrice “elettrica e veloce”. Fate conto un Robert Pack (esplosivo playmaker di Denver degli anni ’90) che corre alla velocità del suono palla in mano per tutto il campo, solo che Maxey ha una completezza offensiva degna di un Mitch Richmond nel picco di carriera. Nel ha messi 32 nella rimonta di stanotte contro Cleveland. Ne aveva segnati 28 nella serata di apertura contro New York. Sempre il miglior marcatore dei suoi. Somiglia sinistramente ad Allen “The Answer” Iverson per velocità sul primo passo, capacità di superare il difensore dal palleggio, abilità nel segnare in traffico. Fisico scolpito nel granito, grande esplosività, pazzesca velocità di base, eccezionale palleggio. Una superstar fatta e finita. Tyrese “The Second Answer” Maxey?

Ottimo esordio, ma con sconfitta, per Paul George

I Celtics hanno perso contro i Detroit Pistons nella prima gara di stagione. Ma Paul George, dopo anni in cui ha spesso arrancato (causa anche frequenti guai fisici), è parso davvero tirato a lucido. Ed è un’ottima notizia per Boston, anche perché sopperire alla dipartita di uno del calibro di Jaylen Brown non è certo la cosa più semplice del mondo. Nella serata di apertura, George ha segnato ben 38 punti, record per un esordio in maglia bianco verde, con un’interpretazione del gioco dal perimetro di livello “Ray Allen”. Per lui 7 su 12 da tre e la sensazione di poter trovare la retina tutte le volte che alzava il braccio dopo uno scarico di un compagno.

Le primavere, ben 36, non sono più così poche e non si può certo sperare che ritorni l’iradiddio che era in maglia Indiana Pacers. Tuttavia, se rimane sano, Paul George può essere particolarmente efficace nella filosofia offensiva di coach Mazulla, alleggerire le spalle di Tatum e White in attacco, garantire un altro punto di riferimento che può essere decisivo quando conta per davvero. Sarà in grado di far dimenticare ciò che Brown faceva in campo? No, quello no. Intanto, dovrebbe iniziare a non farlo rimpiangere. Compito complesso.

Cunningham: il ritorno di Gran Hill?

Ricorda molto Grant Hill per il modo in cui attacca il canestro dal palleggio, con (molto) meno stacco da terra, ma più visione di gioco rispetto all’ex stella dei Pistons. Ha letteralmente diretto l’orchestra di Detroit come se fossero alla prima de La Scala, portando la squadra alla vittoria proprio contro i Boston Celtics. Ha chiuso con 22 punti e 8 assist. Certo, ha tirato maluccio sia dal campo (8 su 18) che da tre (1 su 6). Mani fredde, cuore caldo. Ha giocato una gara sempre in controllo, ha organizzato l’attacco, messo in ritmo i compagni (Jalen Duren dovrebbe fagli una statua…), leggendo in modo appropriato ritmi e spaziature.

Cade Cunningham non ha bisogno di segnare per incidere, è quel tipo di giocatore davvero poco egoista, che fa rispendere i compagni. All-aroud dalla tecnica sopraffina, tratta bene la palla, può agire in modo naturale come portatore primario, ma sa anche muoversi lontano dalla palla. Il tiro da fuori, appunto, continua a essere altalenante. Anche nella sua miglior stagione dal perimetro, non è andato mai oltre il 35%. Se migliora anche in questo fondamentale, può puntare all’MVP, se non come premio in sé stesso (qualcuno tra San Antonio, Oklahoma City e Denver potrebbe avere qualcosa da ridire), almeno come livello di gioco. Ma Detroit deve continuare a far bene.

That’s all Folks!
Alla prossima settimana.

L'articolo NBA Freestyle | LeBron James non ha voglia di scherzare a Philadelphia: sta in un universo a parte. Ma la star dei Sixers non è lui proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.

The move comes amid increased attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in the city, which over the past weeks has gained international attention, including from Pope Leo XIV.

Ukrainian media outlet Slidstvo.info established the presence of the 217th Guards Airborne Regiment, together with its commander, Georgy Yanchev.

• The Elizabeth Holmes documentary "You Can See Everything" earned $15.6 million in its debut weekend.
• That makes it the second-highest-grossing traditional docufilm opening weekend of all time.
• Business Insider compiled the 25 biggest documentary opening weekends using Box Office Mojo data.

Something unusual is happening right now: a documentary is drawing crowds to theaters at a level rarely seen for the genre.

The Elizabeth Holmes documentary "You Can See Everything," directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, grossed $15.6 million in the US and Canada during its opening weekend in October.

That makes it the second-biggest theatrical docufilm debut ever, behind director Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11," which saw a nearly $24 million opening in 2004. "You Can See Everything" was filmed in the month before Holmes reported to prison in May 2023 after she was convicted of defrauding investors in connection with her now-defunct blood-testing company, Theranos.

Theatrical documentary premieres have become rarer since the streaming era began, as the genre has found a major audience on streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. Besides the new Holmes docufilm, only two others on the list were from this decade: "Melania" debuted to $7.1 million in January 2026, and "After Death," a documentary about near-death experiences, opened to $5 million in 2023.

Still, theatrical docufilms were once a cultural force, especially in the 2000s and 2010s, when a wave of nature-, political-, and celebrity-focused ones premiered in theaters to much fanfare.

Here are the 25 highest-grossing traditional documentary film openings at the box office, using data from Box Office Mojo. Several hit concert docufilms, like "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" and "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never," earned more but were omitted from this list to focus on traditional nonfiction documentaries.

The G.O.P. nominee in Ohio has given conservatives space to reckon with the ethical degradation of Trumpism.

© Alex Wong/Getty Images

British Jewish actor and comic says he's 'not surprised prominent Jews are being targeted' amid calls to boycott his movie over iconic character's appropriation of Black culture

Online right-wingers are doxxing and smearing the accuser in the Cornell rape case, in tactics that reek of desperation.

© Illustration by The New York Times

In today’s Backstory, the new Holmes film takes issue with our profile, Nikole Hannah-Jones unpacks her viral essay and a professor shares why he thinks we apply “conservative” and “liberal” labels inconsistently.

Democrats are leading Republicans by 37 points among young voters who say they’ll definitely cast their ballots this fall, according to the latest Harvard Youth poll. On a generic House ballot, Democrats are ahead with 45 percent to 24 percent among voters aged 18-29, a 21-point advantage. Among voters who are certain they’ll vote in…

O 3.º Granfondo Portimão vai ser apresentado publicamente na próxima segunda-feira, 26 de outubro, às 12h00, na Casa Manuel Teixeira Gomes, em Portimão.

Organizado pela Cabreira Solutions, em parceria com o Município de Portimão, o evento realiza-se no dia 8 de novembro, e reúne centenas de ciclistas nacionais e internacionais para mais uma edição dedicada ao ciclismo de resistência e à descoberta do território algarvio.

A edição de 2026 contará com três percursos distintos, adaptados a diferentes níveis de preparação e experiência, que levarão os participantes a percorrer estradas dos concelhos de Portimão, Silves, Monchique e Lagos, aliando o desafio desportivo à descoberta da diversidade paisagística da região.

Para inscrições sugere-se que clique aqui, enquanto que para mais detalhes, publica-se a seguir o livro de apresentação do Granfondo Portimão 2026, com informação complementar sobre o evento.

The battle to save the global court and its capacity to enforce accountability for the most heinous crimes is one struggle with many fronts, writes Marjorie Cohn.

The European Parliament has awarded the 2026 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its officials, recognising the Hague-based tribunal’s work in investigating and prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

Announcing the decision in Strasbourg on Thursday, 22 October, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said the award reflected the European Union’s commitment to multilateralism and international institutions.

Metsola praised the Court for its work in upholding international law and justice. The announcement was met with a standing ovation in the parliamentary chamber.

The decision comes amid an escalating confrontation between the European Union and the administration of US President Donald Trump over the ICC’s jurisdiction and independence.

Washington’s sanctions against the Court

On 9 October, the United States imposed sanctions on the ICC as an institution, extending measures previously directed against individual judges and prosecutors.

The restrictions place the Court under the US Treasury’s sanctions regime, limiting financial transactions involving American individuals, businesses and institutions. Washington has issued several temporary and limited exemptions intended to allow specified operations to continue.

The measures followed earlier sanctions against senior ICC officials, including Court President Tomoko Akane, and form part of Washington’s campaign to prevent the tribunal from exercising jurisdiction over American personnel.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has argued that the ICC threatens American sovereignty by asserting authority over nationals of countries that have not accepted its founding treaty.

The Court rejected the latest restrictions, describing them as an attempt to obstruct the administration of international justice.

Established under the Rome Statute, the ICC operates independently of national governments and investigates serious international crimes where its jurisdictional requirements are satisfied.

Neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute.

Arrest warrants involving Russia and Israel

The dispute with Washington has intensified since the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity connected with military operations in Gaza.

Israel rejects the Court’s jurisdiction and disputes the allegations. Washington has similarly opposed the proceedings against Israeli officials.

The ICC has also pursued investigations into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In March 2023, its judges issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, over the alleged unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.

Further warrants followed in 2024 against senior Russian military commanders and officials in connection with attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure.

The proceedings demonstrate the geographical scope of the Court’s investigations, although its ability to secure arrests depends heavily on cooperation from individual states.

The ICC has no independent police force and relies on national authorities to execute its warrants.

European Parliament backs international justice

The ICC’s nomination for the Sakharov Prize was submitted by the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament.

Its selection comes as European lawmakers examine how the EU should respond to American sanctions affecting the Court and organisations supporting its activities.

The October restrictions have raised practical questions about access to banking, technology services and other infrastructure required by the tribunal.

European governments must also consider how to support an institution established through an international treaty while maintaining relations with Washington.

The Sakharov Prize carries no legal authority to reverse American sanctions or compel governments to cooperate with ICC investigations. Nevertheless, the award represents an explicit institutional endorsement of the tribunal at a time when its operations face increasing external pressure.

Other nominees and award ceremony

The ICC was selected from three finalists announced earlier this month.

The other nominees were Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu and Iranian sisters Taraneh and Romina Rahimi, whose cases have attracted international attention over political persecution and judicial proceedings.

The Sakharov Prize, established by the European Parliament in 1988, is named after Soviet physicist, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Andrei Sakharov.

It recognises individuals and organisations defending human rights, freedom of expression and fundamental liberties. The award includes €50,000.

Previous recipients include Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai and imprisoned journalists.

In 2025, the prize was awarded jointly to Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut and Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli.

The formal presentation of the 2026 prize is scheduled for 16 December at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The award places the ICC alongside previous Sakharov laureates while drawing further attention to the unresolved dispute between Washington and European governments over international criminal jurisdiction.

A Russian ballistic missile fitted with a cluster warhead struck the historic Pecherskyi district of Kyiv overnight on 21–22 October 2026, damaging buildings near two of the Ukrainian capital’s principal religious complexes, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

The missile landed between the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Holy Presentation (Sviato-Vvedenskyi) Monastery. Monastery buildings, homes, shops, cafés and other civilian infrastructure sustained damage in the surrounding area.

Zelenskyy disclosed that Russian forces had used three cluster-equipped ballistic missiles during the assault. Ukrainian authorities described weapons designed to explode in the air as they approach their targets, distributing explosive submunitions over an area approximately 400 metres in diameter.

After receiving reports from officials overseeing emergency operations across Ukraine, the president accused Moscow of deliberately choosing a weapon capable of inflicting extensive civilian casualties in a densely populated district.

“This was a deliberate choice of weapon and area of deployment,” Zelenskyy said.

He maintained that there were no military installations in the vicinity and that the attack had been intended to inflict maximum damage on civilians and their property.

Religious Buildings and Civilian Properties Damaged

Pecherskyi is one of Kyiv’s oldest districts, containing religious institutions and architectural monuments associated with centuries of Ukrainian history.

Among them is the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, established in the 11th century and subsequently developed into an important centre of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

The complex includes historic churches, monasteries and an extensive system of underground caves. Together with Saint Sophia Cathedral and its related buildings, it forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage property that has appeared on the List of World Heritage in Danger since 2023.

Thursday’s explosion occurred in the area separating the Lavra from the Holy Presentation Monastery. Ukrainian authorities identified damage to buildings belonging to the latter, alongside neighbouring residential and commercial premises. Assessments of the destruction across the historic district were continuing.

This was not the first occasion in 2026 on which Russian weapons had damaged the area’s religious heritage.

On 15 June, a Russian drone struck the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex, causing severe damage to the Dormition Cathedral. Its roof and structural elements suffered extensive destruction, prompting UNESCO to undertake emergency stabilisation measures.

Ukraine’s Security Service subsequently published evidence identifying fragments of a Russian Geran-2 drone recovered from the site.

The October strike has again exposed the vulnerability of the capital’s historic religious buildings, as well as the civilian neighbourhoods surrounding them.

The Use of Cluster Weapons in Urban Areas

The reported choice of ammunition has particular implications for the investigation into the attack.

Whereas a conventional missile warhead delivers its explosive force around a principal impact point, cluster munitions release numerous smaller explosive devices capable of striking separate locations across a broad area.

In an urban environment, such weapons can cause casualties and destruction well beyond an intended target. Unexploded submunitions may remain dangerous after the initial attack, posing further risks to residents and emergency workers.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that deploying cluster munitions in populated areas creates a high likelihood of indiscriminate effects.

Under international humanitarian law, military operations must distinguish between civilian persons and objects and legitimate military targets. Indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.

The reported deployment of cluster warheads in central Kyiv therefore raises questions about whether those requirements were observed. Zelenskyy’s account of the three missiles had not, at the time of reporting, been independently established through publicly available forensic evidence.

Russian Barrage Follows Diplomatic Contact with Washington

The Pecherskyi explosion was one incident in a much larger attack on the Ukrainian capital.

According to Zelenskyy, Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles against Kyiv in three successive waves overnight. Ukrainian authorities reported at least two people killed and more than 30 wounded, with strikes damaging apartment buildings, commercial premises, transport infrastructure and energy facilities.

The bombardment took place shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin met US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg on Wednesday, 21 October.

During their discussions, Putin indicated that Russia was prepared in principle to resume negotiations with Ukraine and the United States, potentially in November. However, no confirmed timetable emerged.

Witkoff’s visit followed consultations in Norway between American, Ukrainian and European representatives over possible arrangements to end the war.

The renewed diplomatic activity has done little to resolve the underlying disagreements. As EU Today has previously examined, Moscow continues to advance territorial demands while the parties remain divided over Ukraine’s future security guarantees.

Meanwhile, Kyiv faces an immediate requirement for additional air-defence ammunition.

Zelenskyy has repeatedly appealed for more Patriot interceptor missiles capable of engaging ballistic targets. Difficulties surrounding American military assistance and intelligence cooperation have increased tensions between Washington and Kyiv at a time when Russia is intensifying attacks against Ukrainian cities.

The latest strike also presents Ukrainian investigators with the task of establishing whether the reported use of cluster munitions against a historic civilian district constituted an unlawful attack.

For Zelenskyy, the bombardment following Putin’s latest diplomatic discussions demonstrates that Moscow’s military conduct remains unchanged. He has argued that Russia’s actions provide no evidence of a genuine intention to bring the war to an end.

Russian missiles and drones killed one person and injured 24 in Kyiv overnight on 22 October, the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office said. Damage spread across six of the city’s districts, the city military administration reported.

The strike came hours after Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin had told Witkoff that Russia was “in principle” ready to resume three-way talks with the US and Ukraine in mid-November. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy read the overnight attack as a sign that Russia’s attitude has not changed. A day earlier, Russian drones killed two people in a 24-story Kyiv apartment block.

21 ballistic missiles in three waves

Russia fired 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv overnight, Zelenskyy said. The barrage came in three waves, around 22:00, at about 02:00, and around 03:30.

Across Ukraine, air defenses downed or suppressed 181 of 210 Russian drones, the Air Force said. Its report did not mention any ballistic missiles shot down.

One killed in the Dniprovskyi district

The only death in Kyiv came in the Dniprovskyi district, on the city’s left bank. There, Russian strikes destroyed 13 detached houses on several streets, prosecutors said. Police said the man killed was 48 and that six people were injured in the district, four of them children, the youngest aged five.

Of the injured, five are minors and two are young children, and prosecutors reported acute stress reactions among them. A 16-year-old boy is in hospital with a closed head injury, prosecutors said. Sixteen of the injured were hospitalized, the city military administration said. The final number of injured is still being established.

Ambulance station and monastery damaged

In the Holosiivskyi, Obolonskyi, Pecherskyi, and Sviatoshynskyi districts, the attack damaged eight apartment buildings, prosecutors said. It also damaged a building-supply hypermarket, a restaurant, a monastery building, a post office, and office premises.

In Pecherskyi, Russia damaged an ambulance station and six ambulances, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko wrote. The State Emergency Service said eight people were injured in that district, three of them children, and reported damaged transport infrastructure in the Darnytskyi district.

Bridge closed, metro line split

The strikes damaged metro infrastructure on the Pivdennyi (Southern) Bridge, Kyiv Metro said. As of the morning, green-line trains ran in two sections, Syrets–Vydubychi and Osokorky–Chervonyi Khutir. Inspections and repairs would continue after the all-clear, the metro said.

Oleksii Biloshytskyi, head of Ukraine’s Patrol Police Department, announced that traffic across the bridge toward the left bank was temporarily closed. The city is adding buses on routes 22 and 91, the city administration said. Russian drones had already hit the bridge repeatedly in early October.

He described himself as a progressive fighter. Now, he is seeking Republican votes.

© Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Washington and Israel have devised new plans to strike Iran again after the U.S. midterm elections, The New York Times reports, citing senior U.S. officials and other sources. The planning comes as the armed forces of both countries have stepped up military maneuvers in the region to rehearse bombing missions, and as the State Department has ordered nonessential embassy staff and their families to evacuate Saudi Arabia amid the prospect of possible new attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen. It also comes as Israel prepares for an election in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting for re-election.

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© Vahid Salemi (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

The European Union has moved to reduce the administrative burden imposed on smaller businesses by its packaging legislation, agreeing a negotiating position that would relax requirements for companies selling limited quantities of packaged goods in other member states.

The Council adopted its position on 21st October, proposing an exemption from the obligation to appoint an authorised representative in another EU country when the amount of packaging placed on that country’s market remains below one tonne per calendar year.

The measure addresses complaints from small and medium-sized enterprises that the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which became applicable on 12th August 2026, creates unnecessary expenses for companies engaged in relatively modest volumes of cross-border commerce.

The proposal forms part of the EU’s eighth legislative simplification package and will now be negotiated with the European Parliament.

Cross-border compliance costs under scrutiny

Under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, businesses placing packaging or packaged products on the European market are subject to obligations concerning waste management and extended producer responsibility.

The extended producer responsibility system requires producers to contribute to the management of waste generated by products and packaging placed on the market.

For businesses operating across borders, the framework also includes requirements concerning authorised representatives in member states where producers are not established.

These representatives perform specified compliance functions and provide a point of contact for national authorities.

The system can create substantial administrative obligations for businesses trading in several countries, particularly when the quantity of packaging supplied to individual markets is limited.

A small Belgian retailer, for example, may sell products to customers in Germany, France and the Netherlands without maintaining physical operations in those countries.

The requirement to arrange representation separately across different markets can add compliance costs regardless of whether the volume of trade justifies them.

Under the Council’s proposal, eligible EU-based producers placing less than one tonne of packaging annually on another member state’s market could be exempted from appointing a representative there.

The threshold would be assessed by reference to the quantity placed on the market of the member state concerned.

However, the proposed exemption would not abolish the wider principle of extended producer responsibility or automatically release businesses from their other environmental obligations.

Packaging reform follows early implementation problems

The regulatory changes come only two months after the EU’s revised packaging framework began applying across the single market.

The legislation, Regulation (EU) 2025/40, is intended to reduce packaging waste, improve recyclability and establish more consistent requirements for products and packaging materials.

It covers an extensive range of commercial activities, including manufacturing, retail, food distribution, transport packaging and online sales.

As EU Today reported when the regulation began applying in August, the legislation introduces new requirements affecting packaging design, materials and waste prevention.

However, the practical implications for smaller firms have generated pressure for modifications.

In September, EU Today examined the emerging campaign for simplification, as business organisations questioned whether the compliance system adequately reflected the circumstances of smaller producers.

The Council’s latest agreement represents a further legislative step, replacing general calls for administrative relief with a specific negotiating position.

The Commission also issued detailed implementation guidance in June 2026 after receiving numerous questions from member states and businesses about how the regulation should be interpreted.

Safeguards and temporary exemption

The proposed exemption would not apply without conditions.

The Council’s negotiating mandate includes a safeguard allowing the relevant authorities to respond when a producer fails to comply with extended producer responsibility obligations.

It also provides for the European Commission to review the duration of the temporary suspension by 31st December 2030, ahead of its scheduled expiry in 2032.

The timetable reflects the possibility that broader reform of producer responsibility arrangements could replace the temporary measure.

The Commission is preparing a Circular Economy Act intended to address additional problems affecting Europe’s recycling and secondary raw materials markets.

That initiative could provide a more comprehensive framework for the administration of producer responsibility systems across member states.

For now, the Council has opted for a narrower intervention designed to reduce the immediate burden on smaller companies without reopening the entire packaging regulation.

Single market objectives and environmental obligations

The proposal also reflects a broader problem with European regulatory integration.

Although companies can sell goods throughout the single market, compliance requirements often remain administered through national systems, requiring businesses to deal with separate authorities and procedures.

For multinational corporations, such costs can be distributed across substantial commercial operations. For smaller exporters and online retailers, similar administrative requirements can consume a much greater proportion of turnover.

The Council argues that removing unnecessary representation requirements would support cross-border trade while preserving the objectives of European environmental legislation.

The Irish presidency will now seek agreement with the European Parliament on the proposed amendment.

Until that legislation is adopted and becomes applicable, businesses must continue to comply with the existing rules, including relevant national producer responsibility requirements.