Germany has had its knuckles rapped by the EU over the implementation of its new recycling scheme for non-refillable containers, although the Commission is not taking formal action against the country at the moment.
Brussels has asked Germany to suspend the current system of charging a deposit on metal cans to encourage recycling on the grounds that it contravenes EU internal market regulations.
According to Reuters, the Commission has given Germany until 1 October to come up with a new scheme which is in accordance with EU rules.
The scheme, which has been widely criticised by retailers and drinks producers in particular, forces consumers to leave a deposit for every non-refillable container they buy - essentially beverage cans and one-way plastic bottles - which can then be reclaimed when the packaging is taken back to the store where it was bought for recycling.
But the cost of installing the system has prompted most retailers to simply stop selling the one-way containers, a move which has had a devastating effect on German beer sales in particular.
But if retailers and manufacturers are opposed to the scheme - branding it as unworkable given the sheer volume of packaging involved - the Commission itself is not.
What it is concerned about is the way the scheme has been phased in since 1 January with few recycling points as yet installed. With consumers restricted as to where they can recycle their cans, Brussels is concerned about the impact of the scheme on the free movement of goods.
The Berlin authorities say the new recycling system will be up and running by the 1 October deadline, although it stressed that it would be too expensive to halt the current system until then, opening the way for potential legal action by the Commission.
But opposition to the environmentally-friendly scheme is still fierce, and if the retail sector in particular continues with its self-imposed ban on cans, the German beer and soft drinks sector could be in serious trouble. The pressure on the government to then find a more appropriate solution would be considerable, but until then it seems Berlin is determined to stick to its guns.