Electronics

California AB 2549 – Appropriations Committee Advances Electronic Waste Recycling Bill

California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee has advanced AB 2549, which would amend the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 to update manufacturer notice requirements for covered electronic devices following a unanimous do pass vote on 14 May 2026. This keeps the bill moving toward an Assembly floor vote and signals ongoing pressure on electronics producers to prepare for possible changes to California’s e‑waste recycling and product stewardship obligations.

16 May 2026, 09:03leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

Japan CAA Reports Serious Fire Accident Involving Recalled Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW2 Wireless Earphones

In May 2026 Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency reported a serious fire incident in which a recalled pair of Audio-Technica ATH-SQ1TW2 wireless earphones ignited in a user's pocket. This reinforces the ongoing recall and keeps lithium-ion battery fire risks and recall effectiveness in sharp focus for brand owners and importers of similar consumer electronics, who should review their own product surveillance and recall follow-up.

15 May 2026, 16:30caa.go.jpJapan

Croatia Amends RoHS Lead Exemptions and Bans Misuse of Nitrous Oxide

In May 2026 Croatia published NN 49/2026, amending its RoHS ordinance to align lead exemptions with new EU deadlines and introducing a national order banning misuse of nitrous oxide in products, with application from June–July 2026. EEE manufacturers and importers must plan for tighter lead-use sunset dates while distributors and users of N₂O-containing products face stronger controls and enforcement risk around uses outside manufacturers’ intended purposes.

15 May 2026, 16:30narodne-novine.nn.hrCroatia

UK OPSS Flags Besseto LED Wall Panel Lights as Fire Risk; Amazon Listing Removed

In May 2026, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards reported that Besseto LED Wall Panel Lights sold via Amazon present a high fire risk and do not comply with UK electrical safety regulations. This enforcement action, including border rejection and online listing removal, signals that importers and marketplaces must rigorously check electrical lighting products for plug, fuse and insulation compliance to avoid similar disruptions and liability.

15 May 2026, 15:08gov.ukUnited Kingdom

South Korea Publishes 6th Product Safety Management Comprehensive Plan (2026–2028)

In May 2026 the Korean government adopted a 6th Product Safety Management Comprehensive Plan setting its 2026–2028 roadmap for more data- and AI-driven oversight of consumer products and online platforms. Over the next three years this signals tighter controls on overseas direct-purchase products, new and updated safety standards for batteries, AI/IoT and children’s products, and more intensive market surveillance and enforcement that manufacturers, importers and marketplaces will need to factor into compliance planning.

15 May 2026, 14:29media.licdn.comSouth Korea

Germany: Bundesrat Raises No Objections To Draft Law On Emergency Single Market Procedures In EMC And Radio Equipment Acts

In May 2026, Germany's Bundesrat raised no objections to a draft law implementing Directive (EU) 2024/2749 emergency Single Market procedures into the Electromagnetic Compatibility Act and the Radio Equipment Act. Manufacturers and importers of electrical and radio equipment should expect forthcoming binding German rules on crisis-time conformity assessment and product availability, and plan to align documentation and supply chains once the law is adopted.

14 May 2026, 05:59dserver.bundestag.deGermany

European Commission Summarises Consultation on Green-Listing Waste Under Regulation (EU) 2024/1157

The European Commission has published a factual summary of stakeholder responses on green-listing additional waste streams under the new Waste Shipment Regulation (EU) 2024/1157. The findings show strong industry support for expanding green-listed non-hazardous e-waste, textiles and metals, signalling likely delegated acts that will ease cross-border recovery shipments within the EU and reshape recycling flows.

14 May 2026, 05:56eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

Germany: Bundesrat Raises No Objection to Draft Law Implementing Directive (EU) 2024/2749 in EMC and Radio Equipment Acts

In May 2026 the German Bundesrat decided not to object to a draft law amending the Electromagnetic Compatibility and Radio Equipment Acts to implement Directive (EU) 2024/2749 on internal-market emergency procedures. This clears a key procedural hurdle for updated emergency conformity assessment rules for EMC and radio equipment, signalling that manufacturers and importers should expect German implementation of the EU framework once Bundestag adoption and publication follow.

13 May 2026, 19:06dserver.bundestag.deGermanyEuropean Union

European Commission Publishes Summary of Youth Consultation on Circular Economy Act

In May 2026 the European Commission published a detailed summary of its youth consultation on the forthcoming Circular Economy Act, capturing how 15–29 year olds prioritise structural, design and pricing measures for a fairer, more circular EU economy. These findings will feed into the Act’s impact assessment and eventual proposal, signalling strong youth backing for ambitious producer responsibility, demand-side incentives and accessibly priced circular options that could raise expectations across many product supply chains.

12 May 2026, 18:15environment.ec.europa.euEuropean Union

Sweden KEMI Reports One Third of Inspected Home Electronics Contain Banned Substances

In May 2026 Sweden’s Chemicals Agency published enforcement results showing that about 30 percent of 209 low-cost home electronics products inspected in 2025 contained banned substances such as lead, short-chain chlorinated paraffins and the phthalates DEHP and DBP. The findings highlight persistent compliance gaps under RoHS, REACH and POPs, signalling that importers and distributors must strengthen supplier controls, testing and documentation rather than relying on CE marking to avoid enforcement risk.

12 May 2026, 15:40kemi.seSweden

California AB 2549: E‑Waste Manufacturer Notice Bill Placed on Appropriations Suspense File

California bill AB 2549, which tightens e‑waste manufacturer notice and fee‑reporting rules for battery‑embedded electronics, has advanced in the Assembly and was placed on the Appropriations Committee suspense file on 06 May 2026. If enacted, manufacturers and marketplace facilitators selling into California will need to deliver UPC‑based product fee data to CalRecycle and rely on new online notice forms and a public database by early 2027, increasing compliance and systems requirements for covered products.

12 May 2026, 15:13leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

Brazil Inmetro Portaria 231/2026 Adopts Consolidated Regulation for LED Lamps and Luminaires

Brazil’s Inmetro has adopted Portaria 231/2026, a consolidated technical, conformity assessment and ENCE labelling regulation for LED lamps and luminaires, effective from May 2026. LED lighting manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers serving the Brazilian market face phased compliance deadlines through 2030 and should plan certification, labelling and product portfolio updates to maintain market access.

12 May 2026, 14:43legisweb.com.brBrazil

Netherlands Submits Draft Amendment To WEEE Regulation Implementing Directive (EU) 2024/884

The Dutch government has submitted to Parliament a draft ministerial regulation amending the national WEEE Regulation (Regeling AEEA) to implement EU Directive 2024/884, which updates Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment, with a parliamentary pre-notification period running until 31 May 2026. Producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment and WEEE compliance schemes should anticipate adjustments to Dutch take-back and reporting requirements once the regulation is finalised, with the earliest adoption date indicated as 1 June 2026.

12 May 2026, 12:54zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Japan CAA Publishes Serious Product Accident Notice Involving Recalled Lithium Battery Charger (1 May 2026)

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has issued a 1 May 2026 notice reporting nine serious product-accident fires, including one involving Belkin's recalled lithium-battery charger model BPD005, under the Consumer Product Safety Act. This highlights regulatory focus on lithium-ion safety in consumer electronics and on effective recalls and timely accident reporting, so manufacturers and importers should review Japan-market incident handling and product risk controls.

12 May 2026, 12:53caa.go.jpJapan

China SAMR Approves 402 National Standards And Launches Certification-Body Threshold Campaign

China’s market regulator has approved 402 national standards spanning emerging technologies, environmental protection, safety, agriculture and consumer goods, and has launched a nationwide 2026 campaign to tighten admission and oversight of certification bodies. These moves signal a broad strengthening of China’s technical and conformity-assessment framework, so manufacturers and certification providers should reassess which products and services are affected, anticipate stricter certification scrutiny, and build upcoming GB standard changes into China market-access planning.

11 May 2026, 12:04samr.gov.cnChina

California Senate Sets 14 May 2026 Hearing On SB 1010 Refrigerant Stewardship And Recovery Act

California’s SB 1010 Refrigerant Stewardship and Recovery Act has advanced to a 14 May 2026 Senate Appropriations hearing, keeping a comprehensive producer-responsibility scheme for household refrigerant appliances moving through the legislature. If enacted, appliance manufacturers and importers will face mandatory participation in a CalRecycle-approved producer responsibility organisation, new eco-modulated fees, and stringent refrigerant recovery and PFAS-informed end-of-life requirements that demand multi-year planning.

11 May 2026, 11:38leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

Chile Publishes REP Decree 22/2025 Setting Collection Targets for Batteries and Electrical and Electronic Equipment

Chile has published Supreme Decree 22/2025 under its REP framework law, setting nationwide collection, recycling and heavy‑metal limits for batteries and electrical and electronic equipment with binding targets ramping up to 45% by the tenth year from May 2028. Producers and large retailers must now design and finance REP‑compliant collection systems, take‑back points and reporting ahead of the 2028 start date or face significant sanctions from the environmental regulator.

11 May 2026, 11:15economiacircular.mma.gob.clChile

EU Commission Confirms No Review of Expired Mercury Lamp Phase-Out Dates

In May 2026 the European Commission confirmed, in an answer to a European Parliament question, that it will not revisit the expired phase-out dates for importing, exporting and manufacturing mercury-containing general lighting lamps under the RoHS Directive and the revised EU Mercury Regulation. This closes the door to deadline extensions and reinforces that lighting and electronics manufacturers must complete phase-out and redesign plans based on the existing RoHS exemption expiries and the linked mercury product bans.

9 May 2026, 19:00europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

UK OPSS Rejects Import of Shenzhen Opolo Tech Hair Dryer IN11-B001 Over Fire Risk

In May 2026, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards rejected imports of a Shenzhen Opolo Tech hair dryer model IN11-B001 sold via Amazon after identifying a serious fire risk. This underscores active enforcement of UK electrical safety regulations on third-party marketplace products and should prompt importers and sellers of similar appliances to tighten conformity checks and supply-chain controls.

9 May 2026, 13:36gov.ukUnited Kingdom

California CalRecycle Workshop On 2027 Covered Battery-Embedded Waste Recycling Fee

CalRecycle will hold a hybrid public workshop on 26 May 2026 to present and take comments on the proposed 2027 covered battery-embedded waste recycling fee under California’s covered electronic waste recycling programme. Companies placing battery-embedded products on the California market may face adjusted recycling fee costs from 1 January 2027 and should consider engaging in the workshop and comment process to shape the final fee structure.

8 May 2026, 07:00www2.calrecycle.ca.govUnited States