The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) develops global standards for electrical and electronic products. IEC standards are often included or referenced in other mandatory standards, for example, UL standards and EN standards.
In this guide, we explain what importers and manufacturers must know about IEC standards, covered products, international recognition, and much more.
Continue reading IEC Standards for Electronic and Electrical Products: A Complete Guide
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requires that businesses – including brands, importers, and manufacturers – share the cost of packaging waste disposal. In practice, this can mean that you must pay a fee to a national EPR organisation that manages this for you.
To better understand what EPR means in practice, we reached out to the Green Dot in Germany – one of the pioneers in setting up EPR for packaging in 1990. Continue reading Extended Producer Responsibility: An Essential Guide by The Green Dot
Bicycles might pose substantial risks to the consumers, in the case they contain components that are defective or are designed without taking into account the necessary safety requirements. Like most consumer products placed in the European Union, bicycles require compliance with the relevant safety standards and regulations.
In this guide, we cover the General Product Safety Directive, REACH, relevant safety standards, and more, for products such as:
Note that in this guide we don’t cover specific regulations for e-bikes and stationary gym bikes. Continue reading Bicycle Safety Standards and Regulations in the EU: An Overview
Product testing can be applied and is often in practice compulsory when importing and manufacturing products in the European Union. In this guide, we explain lab testing requirements applicable to general consumer products, chemicals, and heavy metals, clothing and textiles, toys, electronics, medical devices, and other products. Continue reading Product Lab Testing Requirements in the European Union: An Overview
Are you planning to manufacture or import sex toys to the European Union? In this guide, we introduce sex toy safety standards and regulations, including the world’s first sex toy standard – ISO 3533. This guide also covers the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), REACH, and other regulations.
Continue reading Sex Toy Safety Standards & Regulations in the European Union: An Overview
Many products that require the CE mark can be ‘self-certified’ in the sense that you as an importer or manufacturer can arrange testing and prepare documentation (e.g. DoC and technical file) entirely on your own. However, when it comes to some product categories – an external review of the compliance procedure, including the DoC and technical file, is required.
In this guide, we explain how this works and why an EU-type examination certificate is a central component in this process.
Continue reading EU-type Examination Certificates for Importers: A Practical Guide
A Risk and Safety Assessment can be described as a document that lists potential safety hazards, and how you as an importer or manufacturer will act in case any of these risks become reality. Creating a risk and safety assessment document is mandatory when importing and manufacturing a range of products in the European Union, and that is what we cover in this guide.
Continue reading Product Risk and Safety Assessment in the European Union: An Overview
Importing or manufacturing construction products requires compliance with the EU Construction Products Regulation. The regulation sets out requirements such as safety and performance standards, documentation, and labeling.
In this guide, we provide a list of products that are referenced in Annex IV of the Construction Products Regulation. We also list applicable harmonised standards for each product category.
Continue reading List of Products Covered by the EU Construction Products Regulation
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) Directive applies to electrical and electronic equipment waste and waste collection. It also covers labeling requirements used to indicate separate waste collection.
In this guide, we list examples of products covered by the WEEE Directive. We made the selection based on the product categories listed in the relevant annexes of the directive itself. We also include examples of relevant EN standards.
That said, keep in mind that WEEE covers essentially all electrical and electronic products – not only those listed in this guide.
Continue reading List of Products Covered by the WEEE Directive
Manufacturers, importers, and online vendors selling products in the European Union are ultimately responsible for product safety and compliance. However, product safety issues can be caused by unforeseen manufacturing defects or supply chain-related issues.
In short, importers and manufacturers cannot entirely eliminate the risk of safety and compliance issues – resulting in personal injury or property damage.
Should the worst happen, product liability insurance can cover some of the costs involved. In this guide, we list some of Europe’s leading product liability insurance providers, located in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, and Scandinavia. Continue reading List of Product Liability Insurance Companies in the European Union
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