Category: European Union

Chemical Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

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Chemical Regulations European Union

Practically all consumer products sold in the European Union are subject to regulations governing the use of heavy metals, chemicals, and other substances. Specific bans and restrictions on substances like lead and phthalates apply to essentially all consumer products – including textiles, childcare items, toys, cosmetics, and kitchenware.

Despite bans and restrictions, some products sold in the EU continue to contain high concentrations of restricted chemicals.

In this article, we list some of the most important EU regulations that cover substances in consumer products. We also explain how you can check if a product contains regulated or prohibited substances.
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Children’s Product Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

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Children's Product Regulations in the European Union

Children’s furniture and various types of childcare articles are usually not considered toys, which means that the Toy Safety Directive is normally not applicable. However, such children’s products are subject to safety standards, substance restrictions, labelling, documentation, and testing requirements.

In this guide, we explain how the GPSR, EN standards, REACH, and food contact materials regulations relate to children’s products. Note that this guide does not cover all EU requirements for children’s products, but it provides a broad overview and can help you understand the basics.

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Magnet Safety Standards & Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 3 Comments

Magnet Regulations EU

Magnets and products that contain magnets are potential safety hazards. As such, ensuring compliance with applicable safety standards, substance restrictions, and warning labelling requirements is essential.

Products that contain small magnets might be particularly dangerous. For example, there have been cases of children who swallowed magnets and required urgent surgery.

In this guide, we cover requirements for magnets such as those listed in the REACH Regulation, the Toy Safety Directive, EN 71-1 and the General Product Safety Regulation.
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What is the difference between REACH and California Proposition 65?

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REACH California Proposition 65 comparison

REACH and California Proposition 65 are two regulations restricting dangerous substances in the EU and in the US State of California, respectively. These two regulations overlap to a large extent in terms of the substances that are subject to restrictions.

That being said, the two differ in terms of the specific bans, limitations, test methods, labeling, and registration requirements that apply.

In this guide, we summarize the main differences between the regulations and feature some examples of restricted substances.
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What is the difference between REACH and RoHS?

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difference between REACH and RoHS

The REACH Regulation and RoHS Directive restrict the usage of various substances. There is also some overlap in terms of the substances covered by RoHS and REACH, which can create some confusion. However, they differ in terms of product scope, substance restrictions, and labelling requirements.

In this guide, we explain and summarise what some of those differences are. We also include examples of restricted substances for both regulation, and the respective limits.
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EU Batteries Regulation: An Essential Guide

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 1 Comment

The Batteries Regulation is a new regulation that sets requirements for batteries and waste batteries placed in the EU market. It covers all types of batteries unless an exemption applies.

In this guide, we explain when the regulation will begin to apply, and its differences from the prior Batteries Directive. We also outline documentation, labelling, EPR and other requirements.
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EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Guide

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The Deforestation Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 affects a wide range of consumer products and raw materials. The regulation mentions the following commodities and finish products made of the following materials:

  • Cattle
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Oil palm
  • Rubber
  • Soya
  • Wood

More specifically, the regulation requires that the production of listed commodities did not include the deforestation or degradation of forest land. This in turn requires certain documentation, which can be challenging when the products originate outside the EU.

In this interview with Charles Townsend from ForWood Consulting, you will learn the basics of the EUDR and what compliance can mean in practice.
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Cookware Regulations and Standards in the European Union

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Cookware Regulations in the European Union

Cookware imported and manufactured for sales in the EU are subject to various regulations, substance restrictions, labelling, documentation, and testing requirements. Some of these regulations are specific to various types of food contact materials.

But, there are also regulations and directives that cover consumer products in general, including cookware. Hence, this guide is not only covering food contact materials, but a broad set of compliance requirements for cookware as a category.

More specifically, we break down the requirements depending on the materials, as this impacts the applicable requirement.s

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Radio Equipment Directive (RED): An Essential Guide

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 2 Comments

The Radio Equipment Directive (RED) sets requirements for the safety, electromagnetic compatibility and use of the radio spectrum of radio equipment placed in the EU market. It covers devices with some sort of wireless communication capability, including WiFi, LTE, 5G, Bluetooth and GPS.

It has also been updated to cover USB standards for chargers, user data privacy protection, and software compatibility.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about the Radio Equipment Directive – including standards, labelling, documentation, and testing requirements.
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Möbius Loop Guide for the US, EU and UK

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Möbius Loop Symbol

The Möbius loop is a widely recognized symbol that generally indicate packaging recyclability. The requirements for using the Möbius loop symbol differ depending on whether you sell in the EU, US, or UK.

For example, some regulations – such as 16 CFR Part 260 in the US – set requirements and guidance on how to use the Möbius loop symbol. For instance, importers and manufacturers might need to provide proof of their packaging’s recyclability or qualify their recyclability claims.

In short, you should not use the Möbius loop symbol unless you have something to support it. Even then, the requirements are not always crystal clear.

In this guide, we explain the meaning of the Möbius loop symbol, and how guidance regarding its usage varies across the EU, the US, and the UK.

Note that we always refer to “packaging” because, in the official documents we could find, the provided examples usually concern packaging products (e.g. cardboard boxes or food containers).

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