Small businesses selling handicrafts and handmade products often face unique challenges when it comes to product compliance. Understanding compliance requirements and lab testing fees can seem like insurmountable challenges – and sometimes that is actually the case. Handicrafts and handmade products can also be safety hazards, and are generally speaking, subject to the same regulations as other consumer products.

That said, there are certain strategies that can be applied to ensure that your handicrafts and handmade products are safe and compliant with applicable EU regulations and directives, including labelling and documentation requirements.

In this guide, we take a closer look at how EU regulations and directives relate to handicrafts and handmade products, as well as a few exemptions. You will also learn what you can do in practice to comply.

Handicraft examples

• Home decor
• Pottery
• Weaving
• Woodworking
• Leatherworks
• Jewelry
• Glasswork
• Embroidery
• Baskets
• Knitted items
• Artworks

Handmade product examples

• Toys
• Baby carriers
• Art prints
• Furniture

Continue reading Regulations For Handicrafts and Handmade Products in the EU

Plumbing fixtures imported or manufactured for sale in the European Union are subject to the Construction Products Regulation, REACH, and various other regulations and directives. These, in turn, set requirements concerning substances, labelling, documentation, and testing.

This guide explains how different directives, regulations, and standards apply to plumbing fixtures sold in the EU.

Examples of plumbing fixtures

• Taps
• Fittings
• Mixing valves
• Kitchen sinks
• Bidets
• Water closets
• Urinals

Continue reading Plumbing Fixture Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

Ensuring compliance with EU regulations and directives requires compliance with applicable product standards. That being said, navigating the maze of harmonised and other standards in the EU can be a daunting task. In this guide, we explain what manufacturers and importers selling in the EU must know about the different types of standards and how these can be implemented in practice.
Continue reading Product Standards in the European Union: A Complete Guide

Fishing gear is subject to several requirements in the European Union. For example, the Single-Use Plastics Directive aims at reducing the impact of fishing nets and other products on the environment. Conversely, the REACH Regulation restricts several harmful substances in fishing cages and similar articles.

This guide explains how regulations such as the ones mentioned above apply to fishing gear in the European Union, by setting extended producer responsibility, testing, labelling, and other requirements.

Continue reading Fishing Gear Regulations in the European Union: An Overview