New OBP Portal - How to add Parallel Distributor activities to an existing Original Pack Manufacturer organization

An organization may perform activities as both an Original Pack Manufacturer (OPM) and a Parallel Distributor (PD).

The setup in the OBP Portal depends on the Company Type selected during the initial onboarding.

An organization registered as Hybrid can use one OBP Portal account for both Original Pack Manufacturer and Parallel Distributor activities. A Hybrid organization is associated with two separate Organization IDs: one for the Original Pack Manufacturer activities and one for the Parallel Distributor activities.

Separate technical connections are required for each designation. One connection per designation is mandatory, while a second connection per designation is optional. One connection per designation is required, with an optional second connection available for each designation.

However, if an organization has already completed its onboarding as an Original Pack Manufacturer only, its existing OBP organization cannot simply be converted into a Hybrid organization.

In this situation, the organization has two possible approaches.

This is the recommended approach when the existing OPM organization and technical connection are already operational.

The organization:

The result is therefore:

Each OBP organization has its own Organization ID and its own technical connection.

Where the new OBP organization concerns the same legal entity that is already contractually onboarded with EMVO, the Participation Agreement step can normally be bypassed. The EMVO Helpdesk must nevertheless be contacted so that the specific case can be reviewed and the appropriate onboarding steps confirmed.

A new invoice may be required where the onboarding introduces new MAH(s) and/or results in a change to the applicable fee tier. If the same MAH(s) and fee tier remain applicable, a new onboarding invoice should normally not be required. The applicable invoicing treatment should be confirmed with EMVO Finance.

Because the new organization represents the same legal entity, the applicable legal VAT number remains the same. However, the OBP Portal does not allow the same VAT number to be registered for two organizations at the same time.

In this situation, please contact the EMVO Helpdesk. As part of the applicable workaround, the VAT number registered on the existing OBP organization may be temporarily replaced with a dummy VAT number, allowing the correct VAT number to be registered against the new Parallel Distributor or Hybrid organization.

The EMVO Helpdesk will coordinate the required update and EMVO Finance must be informed accordingly to ensure that the VAT information used for invoicing purposes remains correctly managed.

Alternatively, the organization may create a new OBP organization with the Hybrid Company Type.

A Hybrid organization supports both Manufacturer and Parallel Distributor activities within the same OBP account.

However, creating a new Hybrid organization results in two new Organization IDs: one dedicated to the Original Pack Manufacturer activities and one dedicated to the Parallel Distributor activities. These Organization IDs are different from the Organization ID associated with the existing OPM organization.

The organization must therefore:

Product and technical activities are associated with the applicable OBP Organization ID.

Therefore, replacing an existing operational OPM organization with a new Hybrid organization requires the relevant Product Codes associated with the existing OPM Organization ID to be transferred to the new OPM Organization ID associated with the Hybrid organization, in addition to establishing the required new technical connections.

Product Code transfers can represent a significant operational and financial burden, as a fee applies to each Product Code transfer. This should be taken into consideration before deciding to replace an existing operational OPM organization with a new Hybrid organization.

For an existing operational OPM, keeping the existing OPM organization and creating a separate organization for Parallel Distributor activities can therefore avoid the need to transfer the existing OPM Product Codes to a new Organization ID.

For this reason, where the objective is simply to add Parallel Distributor activities without disrupting an existing OPM setup, maintaining the existing OPM organization and creating a separate PD organization is generally the simpler approach.

Existing OPM wants to add PD activities while keeping its current OPM setup

→ Keep the existing OPM organization
→ Create a new PD organization
→ Complete the required onboarding for the PD organization
→ Establish a separate PD technical connection

Existing OPM wants one organization for both OPM and PD activities

→ Create a new Hybrid organization
→ Complete the applicable onboarding
→ Two new Organization IDs are assigned: one for OPM activities and one for PD activities
→ Establish the required OPM and PD technical connections
→ Transfer the relevant Product Codes from the previous OPM Organization ID to the new Hybrid OPM Organization ID; applicable Product Code transfer fees must be taken into consideration
→ Deactivate the previous OPM organization only once the migration is complete

New organization that already knows it will perform both OPM and PD activities

→ Select Hybrid during the initial onboarding
→ Provide the required evidence for both designations
→ Complete one Hybrid onboarding
→ Establish the required technical connection for each designation.

If an existing organization needs to add a new designation, encounters the "VAT Number already exists" message, or is unsure which onboarding scenario applies, please contact the EMVO Helpdesk for further clarification on the required steps.

For further clarification on this article please feel free to contact the EMVO Helpdesk.