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What documents do I need for name and address on the packaging?

An overview of the documents that demonstrate that the name and address on your packaging are correct, and why this section specifically requires a match between three sources rather than a single document.

The short answer

There is no separate certificate for the name and address on your packaging that you can request or download somewhere. What does matter is that three things match exactly: the name printed on the packaging, the name under which you are registered in the national register such as LUCID in Germany or Verpact in the Netherlands, and the name as registered with the Chamber of Commerce or its foreign equivalent. Once those three do not match, a question arises that is not about a missing document, but about a manufacturer that cannot be traced.

This makes this section different from the technical file or the declaration of conformity, where the focus is mainly on documents that you compile and keep yourself. With name and address, it is about a verifiable match between what is printed and what is registered.

Which documents actually matter in practice

Although you do not need a separate name-and-address document, a few documents do make it demonstrable that it is correct. The first is the registration confirmation from the national register, which contains the registered company name and address, and that name must correspond exactly to what is stated on the packaging. The second is a current extract from the Chamber of Commerce, or the foreign equivalent if you supply from another country, which demonstrates that the registered name is also the legally existing entity. The third is a photograph or proof of the packaging itself, so that you can refer back to what was actually on it at the time, even if the text changes later. The fourth is, where applicable, the reference in the technical file linking name and address to the declaration of conformity; that file is not mandatory to support name and address alone, but anyone who maintains it anyway would do well to include that link.

Those who want to see how these documents relate to the rest of the file will find that overview in the knowledge base with the supporting information per section.

The detail that most often goes wrong

One detail on this subject is overlooked more often than any other: which name counts when multiple parties are involved in the packaging. An online shop that operates under a trading name but is legally registered as a different legal entity, a brand that is manufactured by a third party, or an importer acting for a foreign manufacturer: in all these cases, the question of whose name should actually appear on the packaging is not automatically the same as the name under which the online shop presents itself to the public.

This detail is closely linked to the filler-is-manufacturer rule. Anyone who actually fills or has the packaging filled is in many cases identified as the party that bears the registration obligation, even if a different brand appears on the label. In that case, the name and address on the packaging should correspond to that party, not automatically to the brand that the consumer sees. This is precisely the point where a follow-up question is asked during a check: if a trading name appears on the box that cannot be found in the register, a question arises that cannot be resolved with a missing document, but requires registration under the correct name.

What this means for private label and fulfilment

For private label products and when a third party handles fulfillment, it is therefore important to determine in advance whose name and address will appear on the packaging, and to align that determination with who registers where. If that distribution changes later, for example because production moves to another party, the question of whose name should appear on the packaging typically shifts as well. Anyone wishing to check this per packaging type and per country arrives at the same underlying question as with the role finder: who actually qualifies as a manufacturer here, and what does that entail for this specific packaging.

There you can in a few questions see who qualifies as a manufacturer in your situation, so that the name you put on the packaging and the name under which you register align from the start.

Where you can check this

The guidelines of the European Commission and the national registers themselves indicate what must minimally be stated on packaging and how registration relates to it. If there is doubt about a specific situation, such as a production chain with multiple parties involved, it makes sense to consult the text itself or ask a lawyer, since the outcome depends on the precise allocation of roles among the parties involved.

Would you like to first see where you stand before diving further into this? The free quick-scan provides an initial indication in a few questions, and the most frequently asked questions about registration and documents provide a quick overview of what is requested for each component.

This article is general information and not legal advice.