Regulatory Environment

To sustain our packaging steel business and ensure the most effective regulatory framework for steel for packaging at European and national levels, we believe it is vital that legislators, policy makers and key decision-makers in the packaging chain understand steel's performance as a packaging material. We co-operate with industry partners on a national level through the MPMA (Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association) in the UK and SKB (Stichting Kringloop Blik, the Metal Packaging Recycling Association) in The Netherlands. On an international level, we work with APEAL (the Association of European Producers of Steel for Packaging), EMPAC (European Metal Packaging) and BCME (Beverage Can Makers Europe) in lobbying and communications activity.

Within the tin supply chain, we cooperate with ITRI (International Tin Research Institute) and IDH, (the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative) to avoid the use of minerals originating from conflict zones (where they may have been mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses) in our products. ITRI is the only organisation dedicated to supporting the tin industry and expanding tin use. IDH is accelerating and up-scaling sustainable trade by forming ambitious coalitions between companies, governments and civil society organisations.

Tata Steel also works with NGOs such as the Dutch Friends of the Earth in a respectful partnership.

We ensure our products comply with regulations, standards and industry conventions. Our regulatory affairs activity focuses on the management of food contact issues and the implementation of REACH (the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances, a European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use.) Our interaction with industry associations such as APEAL is key to ensuring an appropriate legislative environment for steel as a packaging format. Our compliance is verified annually through audits by external agencies. (Internal Audit Department,Lloyds).

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