Category: European Union

Several EU regulations and directives mandate that the manufacturer and importer are specified on the product, packaging or accompanying documentation.

Failing to correctly declare the manufacturer and importer (if any) can result in recalls or costly relabelling. Despite this, many companies selling in the EU keep getting this wrong and end up wasting money on incorrectly labelled inventory.

Methodology

This article is based on the following EU regulations and directives:

• General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988
• Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40
• EMC Directive 2014/30/EU

Note that identical requirements can be found in many other EU regulations and directives, but do not intend to cover them all, as the basic principle is the same.

Continue reading EU Manufacturer & Importer Labelling Requirements

Companies selling products to consumers in the EU must provide a 2-year legal guarantee. In short, products are expected to meet reasonable and expected quality standards at the time of delivery.

If this fails, then the consumer can be entitled to a free repair, replacement or even a refund (full or partial).

But this should not be understood as an unconditional warranty or money-back guarantee. There are conditions that apply to both sellers and consumers under the Sale of Goods Directive (EU) 2019/771.

This guide provides the following:

1. A breakdown of articles under the Sale of Goods Directive (EU) 2019/771 that set requirements concerning the 2-year legal guarantee

2. Case studies explaining when a consumer can and cannot make a claim:

• Wristwatch
• Espresso machine
• T-shirt

3. Frequently asked questions

Note: Starting on 27 September 2026, sellers must inform consumers about their right to a 2-year legal guarantee using a harmonised notice. This notice must be present in online stores and in physical stores.

Continue reading EU 2-Year Legal Guarantee Case Studies

Regulation (EU) 2025/1960 introduces two guarantee notices starting from 27 September 2026. A harmonised notice must be displayed in all physical and online stores selling consumer goods from this date. It informs consumers of their 2 years of legal guarantee protection.

If you provide a voluntary guarantee beyond 2 years, then you also need to provide a product-specific GARAN label.

• A 2-year legal guarantee protection is required for consumer products
• The EU legal guarantee notice is mandatory when selling consumer products
• The GARAN label is optional (only if an extended guarantee is offered)

Continue reading Guide to EU Legal Guarantee Notice & GARAN Label

A REACH declarations generally state that a product complies with Annex XVII restrictions and whether any SVHCs are present. These documents can be valuable when based on actual testing or other validation.

That said, some companies use REACH declarations as a cheap substitute for lab testing, which comes with serious risks.

Continue reading REACH Declaration Guide & Template

Ensuring compliance with the EU Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 involves various documents. This guide serves as an introduction to several key documents and their role in the compliance process for batteries sold in the European Union.

• Test reports are required to verify compliance
• The manufacturer must create an EU declaration of conformity
• The manufacturer must create technical documentation
• Instructions are required for batteries

Continue reading EU Batteries Regulation Documentation Guide

The Batteries Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 sets performance and safety requirements that must be met before batteries can be manufactured or imported for use in the European Union. These requirements can, in many cases, be met by ensuring that a particular battery complies with applicable harmonised standards.

This guide lists related battery standards that have been published or are currently in development

Continue reading Guide to EU Batteries Regulation 2023/1542 Standards