Category: European Union

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation: An Essential Guide

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 4 Comments

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation aims to ensure that PPE sold in the EU is safe to use and protects users from foreseeable risks. The regulation covers equipment that is designed to protect users from different risks (e.g. electric shocks or falls from heights) and in different environments (e.g. workplace or outdoor sports).

The regulation covers products ranging form sunglasses and bicycle helmets to work gloves and protective footwear.

This guide explains what importers and manufacturers must know about the PPE requirements such as harmonised standards, conformity assessments, documentation, and labelling.
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Phthalate Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 3 Comments

Phthalates are chemicals used to improve the flexibility and durability of certain plastics. Some of them have been linked to certain cancers, metabolic disorders, and male infertility. As a result, the European Union strictly regulates the usage of phthalates in consumer products.

Still, consumer products, including toys, PVC plastic products, and food packaging, might contain restricted phthalates as these are not restricted or banned in all countries. In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about phthalate restrictions in the European Union.
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General Product Safety Directive (GPSD): An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 3 Comments

All products sold in the EU must be safe for consumer to use, even if no specific directive, regulation or standard exist for the product in question. This is also the purpose of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD).

Note that, even if you sell products that are mainly covered by other regulations (e.g. electronics, which are covered by several CE marking directives) it is still possible that the GPSD still apply for some aspects, such as mechanical safety.

In this guide, we explain what producers must know about harmonised standards, documentation, labelling, and lab testing.

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Toy Safety Directive: An Essential Guide for Importers and Manufacturers

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 8 Comments

Toys sold in the European Union must comply with the Toy Safety Directive, which sets some of the strictest toy safety requirements in the world.

Ensuring compliance with the Toy Safety Directive requires following certain safety standards, documentation, labelling, and lab testing requirements.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about harmonised standards, technical documentation, conformity assessment procedures, CE marking, lab testing, and other requirements under the Toy Safety Directive.
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EU Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS): An Essential Guide

Posted on by Yvette Shen — Leave a comment

The RoHS Directive restricts chemicals and heavy metals in electronic components, solder, and materials (e.g. casing). It applies to electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) imported or manufactured in the European Union.

The requirements of the RoHS directive go beyond substance restrictions. More specifically, the directive also covers CE marking and other labelling requirements, documentation, and lab testing.
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Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive: An Essential Guide

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 1 Comment

The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Directive covers electric and electronic equipment that may cause electromagnetic interference with other devices, or that might be disturbed by the electromagnetic field created by other devices.

Some types of electronic devices, such as quartz watches, do not fall under the scope of the directive because they are considered “inherently benign”, in the sense that they do not interfere and are not affected by other devices.

In this guide, we cover what EU importers and manufacturers must know about the directive, including harmonised standards, labelling, documentation, and lab testing requirements.
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Low Voltage Directive (LVD): An Essential Guide

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 1 Comment

The Low Voltage Directive (LVD) aims to ensure the safety of electrical and electronic products with an input or output voltage within a certain range. Generally speaking, the Low Voltage Directive applies to devices and their power supply units that can be plugged into the power socket. Hence, it covers both consumer electronics and AC adapters.

In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know concerning the directive’s safety standards, labelling, documentation, and other requirements.
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Heavy Metals Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 5 Comments

Products ranging from jewellery and watch cases to electronic components and toy paints may contain heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. The European Union strictly regulates – and in some cases, prohibits – the usage of these substances, due to their toxicity.

In this article, we summarise several EU regulations and directives covering heavy metals, including REACH, the RoHS Directive, and the Toy Safety Directive.
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Food Contact Materials Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Posted on by Yvette Shen — 21 Comments

Food contact materials usually include products and packaging made to be in contact with food or beverage. This includes a wide range of consumer goods, such as baby bottles, lunch boxes, cookware, and cutlery. Naturally, there are regulations that restrict the usage of certain chemicals and heavy metals in such products.

In this guide you’ll find summaries of EU food contact material regulations, including product scope, labelling requirements, documentation requirements, testing, and more.

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Heavy Metals Lab Testing: A Complete Guide

Posted on by Fredrik Gronkvist — 2 Comments

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Lead, cadmium, mercury and other heavy metals are either restricted or banned for use in consumer products in most developed countries. This includes the EU, US, UK and many others.

Verifying that a product or material does not contain restricted heavy metals often requires third-party lab testing.

In this guide, we explain what all brands must know about heavy metals testing costs, materials, substance limitations, risks, and how to handle failed test results. Continue reading Heavy Metals Lab Testing: A Complete Guide