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EU Regulation Tracker
Know what's in force, what's phasing in, and what's coming, for every major EU regulation affecting importers sourcing from China.
Know what's in force, what's phasing in, and what's coming, for every major EU regulation affecting importers sourcing from China.
The most significant product safety overhaul in 20 years. Replaces the old GPSD. Every consumer product imported into the EU must now have an EU Responsible Person (natural or legal person with an EU address). Importers are classified as economic operators with direct liability. Online marketplaces have new obligations.
Generally applies from 12 August 2026, including Article 5(5) PFAS thresholds for food-contact packaging. Other duties are later: harmonised labels from 2028 or later, and the Article 24 maximum 50% empty-space ratio from 2030 or later. Check the applicable milestone and implementing acts rather than treating August 2026 as a single deadline.
A carbon border tax on a specific list of CN codes: iron, steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity. A finished product is not in scope simply because it contains metal. The CBAM Omnibus (adopted 8 October 2025) fully exempts importers below 50 tonnes per year of covered goods, no authorisation, no reporting, no certificates, and most consumer-goods importers fall under that threshold. Above it you must be an authorised declarant, and certificates are purchased and surrendered from February 2027 for 2026 imports.
Bans products linked to deforestation or forest degradation from EU market access. In scope: cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya, wood, rubber, and derived products. Companies must prove products are "deforestation-free" with GPS coordinates and due diligence statements. Relevant to any importer sourcing furniture, rubber products, or wood-based goods from China.
CE marking is a mandatory conformity marker for products sold in the EU/EEA. It is self-declared (for most categories) but requires a completed technical file, Declaration of Conformity, and in some cases testing by a Notified Body. Key directives relevant to China-sourced goods: Low Voltage Directive (LVD), EMC Directive, RoHS (electronics), Toys Safety Directive, Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, PPE Regulation.
REACH restricts the use of certain hazardous substances in articles imported into the EU. The SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) Candidate List is updated twice yearly, currently over 240 substances. Articles containing SVHCs above 0.1% w/w must be communicated to recipients. Many consumer products from China historically fail REACH screening. A key check in our EU-Readiness Score.
Prohibits the sale, import, and export of products made using forced labour on the EU market. Based on ILO forced labour indicators. Applies to all products regardless of origin. National competent authorities and the European Commission can investigate and withdraw products. Xinjiang supply chain exposure is a specific risk flagged in our assessments. No safe harbour for ignorance, due diligence required.
Governs all cosmetic products sold in the EU. Requires a Product Information File (PIF), Cosmetic Product Safety Report (CPSR) by a qualified safety assessor, notification in the CPNP portal, and labelling in the language of the country of sale. Regular ingredient restrictions added via Annexes. CMR substances banned. Animal testing ban in force.
ESPR lets the Commission set ecodesign rules and a Digital Product Passport one product group at a time: a QR code or similar data carrier linking to materials, repairability, recycled content and similar data. Nothing applies to a product until a delegated act covers its group. The 2025–2030 working plan puts iron and steel first (adoption targeted for late 2026), then textiles, tyres and aluminium (2027), furniture (2028) and mattresses (2029), plus repairability rules for consumer electronics and small household appliances. Compliance usually follows 18 months or more after adoption. The battery passport is a separate duty under the Battery Regulation. One rule already applies: since 19 July 2026 large companies may not destroy unsold clothing and footwear.
Safety Gate is the EU's rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products. We search the official alert database for relevant product, brand, model and economic-operator signals when preparing the initial decision report. A possible match is an evidence prompt, not proof that the assessed supplier made the notified product.
Importers of electrical and electronic equipment into the EU must register with a national WEEE producer compliance scheme in each member state they sell into. Products must carry the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol. You are responsible for financing the collection, treatment, and recycling of end-of-life products. Selling without registration can lead to fines and removal from online marketplaces.
Replaces the Battery Directive and covers every battery, including those built into products, from power banks to garden tools. What applies depends on the battery type. For portable batteries in consumer goods, CE marking has applied since 18 August 2024 and producer registration in each EU country you sell in since 18 August 2025. From 18 February 2027 batteries must carry a QR code, and portable batteries in appliances must be removable and replaceable by the end user, with narrow exceptions. The new information label (capacity, chemistry, manufacturer) applies from 18 August 2026 or 18 months after the Commission's labelling implementing act, whichever is later, and that act was still a draft in autumn 2026. The battery passport is narrower than often reported: from 18 February 2027 it covers only EV batteries, light means of transport batteries (e-bikes, e-scooters) and industrial batteries above 2 kWh. Supply-chain due diligence was postponed to 18 August 2027 and applies to larger companies only.
CE marking is mandatory for all toys intended for children under 14. Conformity assessment must cover mechanical and physical properties (EN 71-1), flammability (EN 71-2), and chemical migration (EN 71-3), including strict limits on heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and chromium. Age-grading and choking hazard warnings are mandatory. The replacement Toy Safety Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 was published on 12 December 2025 and applies from 1 August 2030. It bans intentionally added PFAS and a list of bisphenols, lowers chemical limits, and replaces the EU declaration of conformity with a digital product passport for every toy. Toys that meet the current directive and are placed on the market before 1 August 2030 can still be sold afterwards.
The CRA introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for all products with digital elements, any device that connects to a network or contains software. This includes smart home devices, IoT sensors, connected appliances, and industrial equipment. The first duty already applies: since 11 September 2026 manufacturers must report actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents to their national CSIRT and ENISA, with an early warning within 24 hours, including for products already on the market. From 11 December 2027 products must be secure by design, come with a vulnerability disclosure policy, security updates for the support period (normally at least 5 years) and a Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), and carry CE marking that covers the CRA. Importers must check that the manufacturer has done this.
Which regulations bite depends on what you are importing. These guides set out the obligations, the testing and the documentation that apply to each category, and where suppliers most often fall short.
The strictest EU category. Toy safety EN 71, chemical restrictions and choking hazard rules.
CE marking, EMC and low-voltage requirements, plus WEEE and battery obligations.
Food-contact materials rules, migration testing and declarations of compliance.
CPNP notification, responsible person duties and ingredient restrictions.
Tightening chemical rules, REACH restrictions and fibre labelling.
Outdoor LED products where CE marking alone does not cover the obligations.
General product safety duties, stability requirements and material declarations.
The EU rules suppliers most often miss, from materials to labelling.
PPE classification questions, safety standards and technical documentation.
Our EU-Readiness Score accounts for every regulation relevant to your niche, so you don't have to track them manually.
Where monitoring is active, material changes found during the agreed review cycle are summarised with a source, review date and impact note. This is scheduled decision maintenance, not a complete real-time legal-alert service.
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