EU Commission consult on strengthening EU product safety rules and approach to refurbished products: The Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs is seeking views on two major proposals on consumer product safety to reinforce the EU framework ensuring that all products on the single market are safe and fit for an increasingly digital and circular economy. The first initiative concerns the revision of the New Legislative Framework, which sets out the principles for market access, CE marking and conformity assessment. The consultation seeks views on whether product information, instructions for use and safety information might just be provided digitally and by what means – QR codes, RFID tags, other means. The consultation poses the question whether the CE mark might just form part of the digital product passport. The consultation also considers what controls are required for refurbished products. The second proposal explores whether additional requirements are necessary for online marketplaces and whether there is a need for a European Market surveillance authority. Responses are required by 4 February. View >
EU Court of justice rule against use of non-alcoholic Gin as a product name: Following a challenge by a German association for combatting unfair competition the European court has ruled that a a non-alcoholic product cannot be lawfully sold using the EU protected name Gin and that use of the prefix Non-alcoholic made no difference. View >
CS3D: EU Parliament vote in favour of simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence: With 382 votes in favour, 249 against, and 13 abstentions the EU Parliament has adopted its negotiating position on simplified sustainability reporting and due diligence duties for businesses. Key points are that only businesses employing on average over 1750 employees and with a net annual turnover of over €450 million should have to carry out social and environmental reporting. Reporting standards would be further simplified and reduced, requiring fewer qualitative details, and sector-specific reporting would become voluntary. Smaller companies would be protected from the reporting requirements of their large business partners, which would not be allowed to request more information than what is set out in the voluntary standards. Due diligence requirements would apply only to large corporations with more than 5,000 employees and a net annual turnover of over €1.5 billion. View >
EU Council approve ‘One substance – one assessment package on chemicals.
The package consists of three legislative acts:
- a regulation establishing a common data platform on chemicals
- a regulation and a directive improving cooperation and reallocating scientific and technical tasks among the EU agencies active in the field of chemicals, including the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)
The three acts will now be published in the EU’s official journal and enter into force 20 days later with a three-year deadline for creation of the common data platform. View >
EU DG Energy to host ‘reality check’ meeting on the energy labelling of tyres on 8 December (Registration by 1 December). View >
EU Regulations:
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