Tag: compliance 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.
Continue reading Magnet Safety Standards & Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

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.
Continue reading What is the difference between REACH and RoHS?

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.
Continue reading EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) Guide

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) is a new regulation that will replace the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD).  Its purpose is to set safety and other requirements for all consumer products, regardless of whether product specific regulations, directives, or standards exist.

This is already the case with the GPSD, but the GPSR goes beyond the GPSD in some aspects. The GPSR also provides more detailed requirements, for example in terms of product and packaging labelling.

In this guide, we help you better understand the new GPSR and the steps you must take before it finally replaces the GPSD.

Continue reading General Product Safety Regulation: An Essential Guide

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.
Continue reading Phthalate Regulations in the European Union: An Overview

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.

Continue reading General Product Safety Directive: An Essential Guide