If your company is based outside Italy but supplies packaged goods to Italian customers, it’s important to understand the concept of the CONAI special domicile — including how to designate a legal address or address for service in Italy when joining the Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi (CONAI).
What Is the CONAI special domicile?
The CONAI special domicile is the Italian address that a foreign company elects for all obligations related to the Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi. This address can be either a legal address or an address for service used for official communications, administrative notifications, invoices, and compliance requirements connected with packaging regulations.
CONAI is a non-profit industry consortium responsible for managing packaging recovery and recycling in Italy under Italian environmental law (Legislative Decree 152/2006). Foreign companies that supply packaged products to customers in Italy can choose to join CONAI voluntarily to fulfil packaging-related environmental requirements directly.
Why foreign companies need a legal address / address for service in Italy
Currently, foreign companies that sell packaged goods into Italy do not automatically have an obligation to join CONAI. However, they can opt in voluntarily to manage their environmental contribution for packaging themselves rather than placing that burden on their Italian customers.
If a foreign company decides to join CONAI, it must provide an Italian address, which serves as a legally recognised legal address or address for service for consortium purposes. This Italian address becomes the official point of contact for all correspondence and legal notifications from CONAI. Without this address, it’s not possible to complete the membership process or handle environmental compliance obligations directly.
How to establish the CONAI special domicile
A practical way to obtain a CONAI special domicile is through the activation of a local unit in Italy — for example, by using a business centre address. A local unit functions as a secondary office of the foreign company and provides an official physical address that can be used as a legal address or address for service.
This approach offers several advantages:
- Rapid setup, often within 24–48 hours
- Lower cost compared to establishing a full branch
- No requirement for continuous physical presence in Italy
- Professional mail receipt and management services
Steps to activate your special domicile in Italy:
- Choose the Italian city you want to register your local unit in (e.g., Milan, Rome, Bologna, Turin).
- Sign the agreement for the local unit and submit the required documentation.
- Register the local unit with the Italian Chamber of Commerce.
- Use this registered address as your legal address and address for service in your CONAI membership application.
Benefits of joining CONAI for foreign companies
Although foreign companies are not legally required to join CONAI, many choose to do so because it allows them to take direct responsibility for packaging compliance. By having their own legal address or address for service in Italy, they can:
- Maintain direct control over environmental contribution costs
- Avoid passing compliance obligations to Italian customers
- Simplify administrative and accounting processes
- Strengthen credibility and trust with Italian business partners
For Italian clients, purchasing from a foreign company already enrolled in CONAI means they no longer have to deal with environmental contributions on imported packaging — a simplification that can make business relationships smoother and more efficient.
Legal address vs. foreign legal headquarters
It’s crucial to understand that the CONAI special domicile — whether used as a legal address or address for service — is not the same as the company’s legal headquarters, which remains in the home country. The Italian address is used exclusively for CONAI compliance and communication purposes, without the need to establish a new corporate entity in Italy.