On 19 December, the German Federal Council (Bundesrat) approved a draft amendment to the 21st Ordinance amending the Customer Goods Ordinance, the ‘German Ink Ordinance’ (GIO). In addition to adding new substances to Tables 1 and 2 of its positive list, it has extended the transition period by one year, from 31 December 2025 to 31 December 2026.

The original deadline for pigments for transient use listed in Annex 14, Table 2, remains at 31 December 2026.

The GIO is an incoming regulation governing printing inks and varnishes intended for food packaging, for direct or indirect contact with food. It includes a positive list of evaluated substances and their respective migration limits. Compliance with the GIO is a legal requirement for commercializing printed food contact materials in Germany and a market requirement for package printing converters across Europe.

Flint Group has confirmed that its products meet all GIO compositional requirements ahead of the original deadline of 31 December 2025. It has said that all data collection from suppliers, raw material evaluations, and reformulation of non-compliant raw materials have been performed.

Flint Group added that it will continue to proactively monitor regulations across Europe and beyond to ensure it can continue to provide compliant, high-performance inks and coatings to support the food packaging industry.