Regulatory news in brief

REACH: PFHxA limits in clothing, footwear, cosmetics and other products from 10 October 2026

Regulation (EU) 2024/2462 adds entry 79 to Annex XVII to REACH, on undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and PFHxA-related substances. PFHxA-related substances are substances that, based on their molecular structure, are considered to have the potential to degrade or be transformed to PFHxA. The limits, measured in homogeneous material, are 25 ppb for the sum of PFHxA and its salts and 1,000 ppb for the sum of PFHxA-related substances. From 10 October 2026, placing on the market or use in a concentration equal to or greater than either of these limits is not allowed in the following:

• Textiles, leather, furs and hides in clothing and related accessories for the general public
• Footwear for the general public
• Paper and cardboard used as food contact materials
• Mixtures for the general public
• Cosmetic products

From 10 October 2027, the same limits apply to other textiles, leather, furs and hides for the general public. The 2026 and 2027 restrictions do not apply to:

• Devices within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices
• Devices within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices
• Textiles used as construction textiles
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) intended to protect users against these category III risks:
  • Substances and mixtures which are hazardous to health
  • Harmful biological agents
  • Ionising radiation
  • High-temperature environments the effects of which are comparable to those of an air temperature of at least 100 °C
  • Low-temperature environments the effects of which are comparable to those of an air temperature of −50 °C or less
  • Electric shock and live working
  • Bullet wounds or knife stabs

The 2026 restriction does not apply to articles and mixtures placed on the market before 10 October 2026. The 2027 restriction does not apply to articles placed on the market before 10 October 2027.

Act:Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2462, Annex, entry 79, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 20 September 2024

Persistent organic pollutants: chlorpyrifos prohibited from 30 September 2026

Chlorpyrifos is added to the prohibited substances of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). From 30 September 2026, the manufacturing, placing on the market and use of chlorpyrifos, on its own, in mixtures or in articles, are prohibited without specific exemptions. The prohibition does not apply to chlorpyrifos present as an unintentional trace contaminant at a concentration equal to or below 0.01 mg/kg (0.000001 % by weight). Under Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, the prohibition does not apply for six months to articles produced on or before 30 September 2026. The prohibition also does not apply to chlorpyrifos in articles already in use on 30 September 2026.

Act:Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1423, Annex, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 10 September 2026

Biocides: four active substances not approved for certain product-types from 23 July 2026

With two implementing decisions adopted in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 528/2012, the Commission does not approve four existing active substances for use in biocidal products of the product-types indicated:

• Terbutryn (EC No 212-950-5, CAS No 886-50-0) in product-type 9
• 1,2-Benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, BIT (EC No 220-120-9, CAS No 2634-33-5) in product-type 9
• Tetrahydro-1,3,4,6-tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)imidazo[4,5-d]imidazole-2,5(1H,3H)-dione, TMAD (EC No 226-408-0, CAS No 5395-50-6) in product-type 12
• The in situ active substance generated from dimethyloctadecyl[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonium chloride (EC No 248-595-8, CAS No 27668-52-6) in product-types 2, 7 and 9

The product-types are those of Annex V to Regulation (EU) No 528/2012:

• 2, disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals
• 7, film preservatives
• 9, fibre, leather, rubber and polymerised materials preservatives
• 12, slimicides

The two decisions are in force from 23 July 2026. Following a decision not to approve an active substance, a Member State may continue to apply its current system or practice of making biocidal products available on the market for up to 12 months after the date of the decision and of using them for up to 18 months after that decision (Article 89(2) of Regulation (EU) No 528/2012). For articles treated with biocidal products containing these active substances, Article 94(1), point (a), allows placing on the market until 180 days after the decision, if each active substance in the biocidal products used was under examination for the relevant product-type on 1 September 2016, was the subject of an application for approval submitted by that date or is approved for that product-type and use or included in Annex I.

Acts:Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2026/1420 (Articles 1 and 2 and Annex) and 2026/1424 (recitals 1 and 4 and Articles 1 and 2), published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 3 July 2026

REACH: 2,4-dinitrotoluene prohibited in articles after 10 May 2027

Regulation (EU) 2026/859 adds entry 83 to Annex XVII to REACH, the list of restrictions. After 10 May 2027, placing on the market or use of 2,4-dinitrotoluene in articles for the general public or professional users, in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.1 % by weight, is prohibited. Professional users are workers and self-employed workers operating outside of industrial sites. The exclusions include:

• Toys within the scope of Regulation (EU) 2025/2509
• Medical devices
• Articles intended to come into contact with food

For micro gas generators for seat belt pre-tensioners and bonnet actuators and for spare parts for use in motor vehicles, the prohibition applies from 11 May 2029. The prohibition does not apply to articles placed on the market in the Union before 11 May 2027.

Act:Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/859, Annex, entry 83, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21 April 2026

Toys: three EN 71 standards harmonised from 14 September 2026

Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2032 adds three standards to the list of harmonised standards for Directive 2009/48/EC on the safety of toys:

• EN 71-4:2020+A1:2025, experimental sets for chemistry and related activities
• EN 71-15:2025, formamide in foam toy materials
• EN 71-16:2025, certain chlorinated phosphorus flame retardants (TCEP, TCPP, TDCP) in toy materials

From 14 September 2026, toys that comply with these standards are presumed to comply with the requirements that the standards cover. The reference of the previous version, EN 71-4 2020, is withdrawn from 14 March 2028.

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2032, Article 2 and Annex, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 14 September 2026

Further reading:Toys Safety: From CE Marking to Digital Product Passport (DPP)

Radio equipment: 13 harmonised standards added to the list from 7 September 2026

Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2003 adds 13 new, revised or amended standards to the list of harmonised standards for Directive 2014/53/EU on radio equipment. From 7 September 2026, radio equipment that complies with these standards is presumed to comply with the essential requirements that the standards cover. The standards closest to consumer products include:

• EN 50566:2017, with amendments A1:2023 and A2:2025, on the compliance of wireless communication devices with the basic restrictions and exposure limit values related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields from 30 MHz to 6 GHz, for hand-held and body mounted devices in close proximity to the human body
• EN 303 354 V1.2.1 on amplifiers and active antennas for TV broadcast reception in domestic premises
• EN 300 440-2 V3.1.1 on radiodetermination equipment for location tracking applications operating from 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz
• EN 301 489-13 V2.1.1 on the electromagnetic compatibility of Citizens’ Band (CB) radio and ancillary equipment

EN 301 489-13 does not confer a presumption of conformity for emissions below 9 kHz, nor, if its clause 6 is applied, for the electromagnetic compatibility requirement of Article 3(1), point (b), of the Directive. From 7 March 2028 the references of five previous versions are withdrawn, including EN 50566:2017 with amendment A1:2023 only and EN 303 354 V1.1.1.

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2003, Articles 1 and 3 and Annex, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 7 September 2026

Machinery: 67 harmonised standards added to the list from 7 September 2026

Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2015 adds 67 new, revised or amended standards to the list of harmonised standards for the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. The decision is in force from 7 September 2026. The standards closest to consumer products include:

• Thirteen parts of standards EN IEC 62841 and EN 62841 on electric motor-operated hand-held tools, transportable tools and lawn and garden machinery, for example:
  • Hammers
  • Reciprocating saws
  • Cut-off machines
  • Lawn trimmers
  • Brush cutters
  • Garden blowers
  • Shredders
• EN IEC 60335-2-40:2024 on electrical heat pumps, air-conditioners and dehumidifiers

Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1586, which contains the list, is repealed from 20 January 2027. From that date, Directive 2006/42/EC is repealed by Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery.

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/2015, Articles 1 and 2 and Annex, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 7 September 2026

Gas water heaters: EN 13203-1:2025 harmonised for ecodesign and energy labelling from 23 July 2026

Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1717 publishes the reference of standard EN 13203-1:2025, “Gas fired domestic appliances producing hot water – Part 1: Assessment of performance of hot water deliveries”. The standard is harmonised in support of two Commission regulations:

• Regulation (EU) No 814/2013 on ecodesign requirements for water heaters and hot water storage tanks
• Delegated Regulation (EU) No 812/2013 on the energy labelling of water heaters, hot water storage tanks and packages of water heater and solar device

The decision is in force from 23 July 2026. Under Article 9(2) of Directive 2009/125/EC, referred to in the decision, gas water heaters that conform to published harmonised standards are regarded as conforming to all the relevant requirements of the applicable implementing measure, Regulation (EU) No 814/2013.

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1717, Articles 1 and 2 and Annexes I and II, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 23 July 2026

Gas appliances: EN 17476 and EN 497 without presumption of conformity

With Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1750, the Commission decided not to publish the references of two standards drafted for Regulation (EU) 2016/426 on gas appliances:

• EN 17476:2021, as amended by A1:2022, on LPG vapour pressure appliances incorporating a horizontal cartridge in the chassis
• EN 497:2022 on LPG multi-purpose boiling burners for outdoor use, for cooking vessels with a diameter greater than 300 mm

After formal objections from Sweden and Germany, the Commission concluded that the two standards do not meet some essential requirements of the Regulation. Under the Regulation, appliances and fittings manufactured in conformity with a harmonised standard whose reference is published in the Official Journal of the European Union are presumed to comply with the essential requirements. The references of these two standards are not published, so the standards do not give a presumption of conformity.

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1750, Article 1, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 21 July 2026

Digital product passport: six harmonised standards from 15 July 2026

Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1736 publishes the references of six harmonised standards for the digital product passport of Regulation (EU) 2024/1781 on ecodesign for sustainable products:

• EN 18216:2026, data exchange protocols
• EN 18219:2026, unique identifiers
• EN 18220:2026, data carriers
• EN 18221:2026, data storage, archiving, and persistence
• EN 18222:2026, application programming interfaces (APIs) for product passport lifecycle management and searchability
• EN 18223:2026, system interoperability

From 15 July 2026, digital product passports that conform to these standards are presumed to conform to the requirements of Articles 10 and 11 of the Regulation to the extent that the standards cover them (Article 41(2)). Article 10 sets out the requirements for the passport, including its connection through a data carrier to a persistent unique product identifier. Article 11 sets out its technical design and operation, including interoperability with other digital product passports and access for the relevant actors. The passport is required for the products for which the delegated acts adopted pursuant to Article 4 of the Regulation provide for it (Article 9(1)).

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1736, Articles 1 and 2 and Annex, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 15 July 2026

Machinery: draft decree aligning Italian law with Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 before Parliament

On 9 October 2026 the Italian Government sent to the Chamber of Deputies the draft legislative decree that aligns Italian legislation with Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery (Government act No 445). The draft amends Legislative Decree No 17/2010, which transposed Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. It is a draft and is not in force. After receiving the opinions of the competent committees of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, the Council of Ministers adopts the final text. In the Chamber, the deadline for the opinion of the Productive Activities Committee is 18 November 2026. The decree will enter into force on the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic (Article 5). The Regulation applies generally from 20 January 2027 (Article 54 of the Regulation). The draft provides, among other things, that:

• Economic operators provide the instructions for use, the information set out in Annex III to the Regulation and the assembly instructions for partly completed machinery at least in Italian
• During market surveillance activities, at the reasoned request of the market surveillance authority, the technical documentation, the declaration of conformity and the declaration of incorporation must be provided in Italian
• The market surveillance authorities are the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies
• The Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy is the notifying authority for conformity assessment bodies. ACCREDIA, the Italian national accreditation body, assesses the bodies for authorisation and notification and monitors the notified bodies

The new Article 11-bis of Decree No 17/2010, inserted by the draft, provides that bodies already notified under Directive 2006/42/EC submit an application for transition to the Regulation by 20 January 2027. After that deadline, the authorisations and notifications issued under the Directive are deemed to have lapsed.

The draft rewrites Article 15 of Decree No 17/2010 and provides for these administrative fines:

• €10,000 to €100,000 for the manufacturer or authorised representative that places on the market or puts into service machinery not complying with the essential health and safety requirements set out in Annex III to the Regulation
• €10,000 to €50,000 for the economic operator that does not comply with the provisions of Chapter II of the Regulation on the obligations of economic operators, according to its role in the supply chain
• €10,000 to €50,000 for the economic operator that does not comply with the measures of the market surveillance authority
• €3,000 to €30,000 for the economic operator that does not cooperate with the market surveillance authorities in taking the measures required for products presenting a risk or for formal non-compliance

The fines are imposed by the competent local Chamber of Commerce. The first three apply unless the conduct constitutes a criminal offence.

Act:Draft legislative decree, Government act No 445, preamble and Articles 2 and 5, sent to the Chamber of Deputies on 9 October 2026 (in Italian)

Outdoor machinery and equipment: obligation to send the EC declaration of conformity abolished from 24 October 2026

Italian Legislative Decree No 181/2026 implements Directive (EU) 2024/2839 and enters into force on 24 October 2026. It repeals Article 13 of Legislative Decree No 262/2002 on the noise emission in the environment by machinery and equipment for use outdoors. With the repeal, the manufacturer or the authorised representative is no longer required to send to the Italian Ministry of the Environment and Protection of the Territory and to the European Commission a copy of the EC declaration of conformity for each type of machinery and equipment listed in Annex I placed on the market or put into service. The fine of €1,000 to €50,000 for failure to send it, laid down in Article 15(9), also ceases to apply. The other obligations of Decree No 262/2002 remain, including the EC declaration of conformity accompanying the machinery and equipment and the CE marking with the indication of the guaranteed sound power level.

Act:Legislative Decree of 25 September 2026, No 181, Article 2, published in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic, General Series No 235, on 9 October 2026 (in Italian)

Radio equipment: charging cable optional from 1 October 2026

Decree No 161/2026 of the Italian Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy amends Decree No 101/2017, the Italian regulation on surveillance and checks of radio equipment. The text introduced in 2025 by Decree No 115 provided that the charging cable compliant with Annex I-bis, Part I, point 2, always had to be included in packages, whether with or without a charging device. The new text, in force from 1 October 2026, leaves the economic operator free to choose whether to include that charging cable in packages with or without the charging device. The cable is the one referred to in point 2 of Annex I-bis, Part I, to Italian Legislative Decree No 128/2016. Under that point, radio equipment that can be recharged by cable must have a USB Type-C receptacle and be capable of being charged with cables that comply with standard EN IEC 62680-1-3:2022. Point 2 applies to the equipment listed in point 1, namely handheld mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras (except those designed exclusively for the audiovisual sector or for security and surveillance), headphones, headsets, handheld videogame consoles, portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops. In the recitals, the Minister refers to the Commission Guidance for the interpretation of the Common Charger Directive (C/2024/2997) and reports that, according to the answer to question 34, the requirements of Article 3a of Directive 2014/53/EU do not apply to the detachable charging cable.

Act:Decree of the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy of 21 July 2026, No 161, recitals and Article 1, published in the Official Journal of the Italian Republic, General Series No 215, on 16 September 2026 (in Italian)

EUDR: list of products revised, soap and oil palm derivatives included from 30 December 2027

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102 amends Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation (EUDR), the list of relevant commodities and products subject to due diligence obligations. The amendments are in force from 18 September 2026. The 18 entries added apply from 30 December 2027 and include:

• Toilet soap in the form of bars, cakes, moulded pieces or shapes (ex 3401 11 00) and soap in other forms (ex 3401 20) that contain or have been made using oil palm
• Other products made using oil palm, including hydrogenated or chemically modified oils, crude glycerol, fatty alcohols, fatty acids and esters, amines, amides, quaternary ammonium salts, polyethers and other chemical preparations
• Extracts, essences and concentrates of coffee (2101 11 00)
• Frozen cattle tongues (ex 0206 21 00)

Hides, skins and leather of cattle (ex 4101, ex 4104 and ex 4107), conveyer or transmission belts of vulcanised rubber (ex 4010) and other articles of vulcanised rubber other than hard rubber not elsewhere specified (ex 4016) are removed from the list. Of entry ex 4012 (retreaded or used pneumatic tyres, solid or cushion tyres, tyre treads and tyre flaps), only tyre treads remain (ex 4012 90 30). New pneumatic tyres (ex 4011) are not affected and remain on the list. For soya, beans for sowing are removed. For seats, the listed wooden subheadings remain, without aircraft and motor vehicle seats. The Annex also clarifies that the Regulation does not apply to:

• Waste and used or second-hand products, in the entries where this is indicated, including many wood entries, pulp of wood, paper and wooden furniture
• Samples of negligible value and quantity and products to undergo examination, analysis or tests, under the conditions indicated
• Packing material and packing containers used exclusively to support, protect or carry another product and presented with that product, in entries 4401, 4405, 4415, 4416 and 48 if single-use and in entries 4415, 4416 and 48 if clearly suitable for repetitive use, from the moment they are used for that purpose
• Items of correspondence and marketing and information materials exclusively accompanying another product or supplied free of charge, in entry 48
• Products made of bamboo, rattan and other materials of a woody nature, palms other than Elaeis, rubber other than that of Hevea brasiliensis and synthetic rubber
• In several entries, products used in the manufacturing of medicinal products for human or veterinary use

Act:Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2102, Articles 1 and 2 and Annex, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 17 September 2026

Further reading:Guide to the EUDR Regulation 2023/1115 for EU importers and manufacturers

PPWR: for the Commission, packaging in a distributor’s warehouse has already been placed on the market

On 21 August 2026 the European Commission answered parliamentary question P-002934/2026 on stocks of packaging at the date of application of Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste (PPWR), 12 August 2026. The answer is not legislation. According to the Commission:

• Packaging is placed on the market when it is made available on the market for the first time by a manufacturer or importer of packaging
• The sale of packaging or packaged products by the manufacturer or importer to a distributor is a placing on the market, in line with the ‘Blue Guide’ on the implementation of EU product rules 2022
• Packaging held in a distributor’s warehouse has therefore already been placed on the market in all cases
• Only packaging that has not been placed on the market by 12 August 2026 must comply with the PPWR
• Even packaging already produced but not yet placed on the market before that date does not have to be destroyed, remanufactured or re-labelled. For the labelling requirements that apply from the date of application, namely the unique identification of the packaging and the manufacturer’s name and address, the information can be provided in an accompanying document
• The PPWR does not set a cut-off date by which stocks must be sold

The question also asked which documents prove that a batch had already been placed on the market. The answer does not address this point. The Commission announces that it will include the clarifications given in the answer in an updated frequently asked questions (FAQ) document on the PPWR, without giving a date.

Source:Answer given by the European Commission to question P-002934/2026, 21 August 2026

Further reading:PPWR 2025/40: Packaging Obligations from August 12, 2026

Textiles: Union testing facility designated from 23 July 2026

Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1481 designates the Directorate-General for the General Chemical State Laboratory, a service within the Independent Authority for Public Revenue of Greece based in Athens, as a Union testing facility for textiles. The designation is made under Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance and is in force from 23 July 2026. The laboratory provides its services only to:

• Market surveillance authorities
• The Union Product Compliance Network
• The Commission
• Other government or intergovernmental entities

The designation is reviewed by 23 July 2031 and every five years after that.

Act:Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1481, Articles 1 and 2, published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 3 July 2026