REACH Annex XVII Substances List: An Overview

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Annex XVII of the REACH regulation sets restrictions for a wide range of substances, including phthalates, lead, cadmium, and nickel. Further, some substance restrictions are specific to certain product categories, such as textiles or childcare articles.

Keeping track of Annex XVII substances is important as you generally cannot sell products or mixtures that contain such substances above the set limits.

In this guide, we address common questions related to Annex XVII and present examples of substances that are restricted for use in consumer products. Additionally, we explain how new restrictions are added to the Annex.
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Good Manufacturing Practice in the European Union

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Good Manufacturing Practice in the European Union

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) generally refers to a set of procedures to ensure that the products you manufacture are consistently meeting the requirements of applicable regulations. In practice, this can mean different things, depending on the product and the applicable regulations.

In this guide, we cover GMP requirements found in regulations affecting different product categories from food contact materials to cosmetic products. Additionally, we cover similar requirements (like good engineering practice) found in other regulations and explain how they differ from GMP requirements.

Note that there may be other regulations that cover GMP requirements (e.g. for for medicinal products).
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Baby Stroller Regulations in the European Union: A Complete Guide

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Baby Stroller Regulations in the European Union: A Complete Guide
Importers and manufacturers of baby strollers are required to comply with requirements such as testing, documentation, and labelling. Non-compliant baby strollers may, for instance, pose mechanical, physical, and chemical hazards to children. For example, stroller parts may entrap the baby and cause an injury, and substances used in coating products and dyes may affect the child’s development.

In this guide, we explain how regulations such as the General Product Safety Regulation and REACH are relevant for baby strollers.
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Children’s Jewellery Regulations in the European Union: A Complete Guide

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Children's Jewellery

Children’s jewellery sold in the European Union must meet certain safety requirements, in addition to substance, labelling, and testing requirements. In this guide, we explain what EU importers and manufacturers must know about REACH, General Product Safety Regulation, Toy Safety Directive, and other compliance requirements relevant for children’s jewellery in the European Union.
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Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Regulation: An Overview

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Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Regulation: An Overview
Companies importing certain materials and products into the EU must comply with the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) Regulation. This includes, for example, certain materials like aluminium, iron and steel. Additionally, the regulation covers certain finished or semi-finished products made with these materials, like screws and bolts.

In this guide, we explain the regulation as it relates to the application procedures for CBAM declarants, the submission of CBAM declarations, reporting obligations, and the purchasing of CBAM certificates. Additionally, we provide a FAQ section that addresses common questions concerning the regulation.
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List of Products covered by the Batteries Regulation

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List of Products covered by the Batteries Regulation
The Batteries Regulation covers batteries manufactured or imported for sale in the EU. In this guide, we list some of the battery types covered by the Batteries Regulation, such as portable batteries, SLI batteries, LMT batteries, and other batteries.

Product List Creation Methodology

We list batteries that are mentioned in the Batteries Regulation and referred to in standards under the regulation that we found searching on the CENELEC website.

Note that the standards presented in this guide have yet to be published, and these have not yet been harmonised under the regulation. To be confirmed as a harmonised standard, the standard should be referenced in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).

However, it is stated on each of the cited standards on CENELEC that a citation in the OJEU for the regulation is expected.

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List of Products covered by the General Product Safety Regulation

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List of Products covered by the General Product Safety Regulation

In this guide, we list examples of products that are covered by the General Product Safety Regulation. By reading this guide, you also learn about the different product categories for which a harmonised standard exists under the regulation, the significance of a harmonised standard, and what you should do when selling products that are not covered by such standards.

Product List Creation Methodology

In this guide, we list product categories for which there exist one or more harmonised standards referenced under the General Product Safety Directive, and provide examples of covered products and relevant standards. Note that, according to the General Product Safety Regulation, such standards also provide a presumption of conformity with the safety requirements laid down by the regulation.

Harmonised standards are generally necessary to comply with the safety requirements set by the regulation. Applying a harmonised standard would mean that your product is presumed to be safe, as explained in Article 7 of the regulation:


1. For the purpose of this Regulation, a product shall be presumed to be in conformity with the general safety requirement laid down in Article 5 of this Regulation in the following cases:

(a) it conforms to relevant European standards or parts thereof as far as the risks and risk categories covered by those standards are concerned, the references of which have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union in accordance with Article 10(7) of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012; or

(b) in the absence of any relevant European standards as referred to in point (a) of this paragraph, the product conforms to national requirements, as regards the risks and risk categories covered by health and safety requirements laid down in the national law of the Member State in which it is made available on the market, provided that such law is in compliance with Union law.


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Furniture Flammability Safety Standards in the European Union: An Overview

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Furniture Flammability Safety Standards in the European Union

Furniture imported or manufactured in the EU are covered by various flammability standards. Further, the General Product Safety Regulation requires that all furniture sold in the EU are safe for consumers, which in turn ties back to ensuring compliance with relevant European standards.

In this guide, we take a look at the General Product Safety Regulation, EN 1021, EN 597 and other furniture flammability compliance requirements.

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Battery Producer Responsibility in the EU: A Practical Guide

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Battery Producer Responsibility in the EU: A Practical Guide

The Batteries Regulation requires producers to assume responsibility for their waste batteries, by setting requirements concerning registration, reporting, collection and treatment of their waste batteries.

In practice, meeting these obligations tends to require the appointment of a battery waste management company. These are also referred to as producer responsibility organisations or PROs. These are companies that help you manage the physical waste management, in addition to registration, reporting, and the payment of fees.

In this guide, we explain what are the requirements for importers and manufacturers, and provide information on several producer responsibility organisations based in the EU.

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Climbing Equipment Regulations and Standards in the European Union

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Climbing Equipment Regulations and Standards in the European Union

If you import or manufacture climbing equipment in the EU, you must comply with requirements such as labelling, documentation, and testing.  Unsafe climbing gear can result in fatal accidents, which therefore requires strict adherence to the applicable requirements.

In this guide, we take a closer look at the PPE regulation, General Product Safety Regulation, and the REACH regulation in relation to climbing gear and equipment.

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