Electronics

EU Committee of the Regions Issues Opinion on EPR Authorised Representative Proposal for WEEE and Single-Use Plastics

The EU Committee of the Regions has issued an advisory opinion on the Commission’s proposal COM(2025) 983 to suspend authorised representative rules in extended producer responsibility schemes for waste, WEEE and single-use plastics, emphasising that simplification must not weaken environmental safeguards or shift burdens onto local authorities. This signals that cities, regions and their networks are likely to push for strong polluter-pays, traceability and enforcement provisions as negotiations progress, so producers and EPR schemes should plan for scenarios where key obligations are retained or only partially relaxed.

25 May 2026, 15:46data.consilium.europa.euEuropean Union

Japan CAA Reports Fires in Recalled Audio-Technica Earbuds and Panasonic Dehumidifier-Dryers

On 22 May 2026 Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency reported 18 serious consumer product accidents, highlighting fires in recalled Audio-Technica wireless earbuds and Panasonic dehumidifier-dryers. The notice underscores ongoing fire risks from lithium-ion powered and heating appliances even after recalls begin, signalling the need for manufacturers and retailers to improve recall completion and battery safety monitoring in Japan.

25 May 2026, 15:38caa.go.jpJapan

Chile Drafts Safety Certification Protocol for Portable Power Stations (PE Nº8/12:2026)

Chile has notified a draft SEC safety certification protocol for portable power stations up to 6 kW, defining mandatory testing, sampling and labelling requirements based on IEC 62368-1, with comments due by 17 July 2026. Manufacturers and importers of battery-based portable generators targeting the Chilean market should plan for SEC certification, adjust designs and documentation to meet the new protocol, and factor in testing timelines before the rules become mandatory.

24 May 2026, 21:27members.wto.orgChile

China GACC To Conduct Random Inspections On Certain Import And Export Commodities From 1 June 2026

China’s customs authority has issued Announcement No. 57 of 2026 to launch random inspections on selected import and export consumer goods that are not otherwise subject to statutory inspection, effective 1 June 2026. Companies trading baby and children’s products, food-contact items, footwear and electronic products into or out of China should anticipate stricter border controls and align quality and documentation processes to avoid clearance delays, returns or penalties.

24 May 2026, 20:48customs.gov.cnChina

Germany (UBA) Publishes Case Study on Duty of Care for Electrical Appliances

The German Environment Agency has released a major case study and reporting methodology on how retailers, manufacturers, and remarketers should implement duty-of-care obligations for unsold and returned electrical appliances, feeding directly into EU ecodesign rules on destruction bans and transparency for unsold goods. This research signals that companies across electricals, and later textiles and furniture, should prepare for granular, standardised reporting on reverse logistics flows and stronger market surveillance, with potential cost and data implications for inventory, returns, and waste strategies.

24 May 2026, 20:37umweltbundesamt.deGermanyEuropean Union

Slovakia: Government Regulation 91/2026 Adds Emergency Procedures to EMC Regulation 127/2016

Slovakia has adopted Government Regulation 91/2026, amending its EMC Regulation 127/2016 to add emergency procedures for electrical apparatus designated as crisis-relevant goods under the EU internal market emergency framework, effective from 30 May 2026. This change lets manufacturers temporarily rely on EU emergency technical standards or common specifications to demonstrate EMC conformity during an internal market emergency, reshaping conformity planning and market-surveillance expectations for EMC equipment placed on the Slovak market.

23 May 2026, 19:12slov-lex.skSlovakia

Slovakia Adopts Government Regulation 94/2026 on Emergency Procedures for Low-Voltage Electrical Equipment

Slovakia has adopted Government Regulation 94/2026 to introduce emergency conformity assessment procedures for certain low-voltage electrical equipment, amending its existing low-voltage market rules in line with the new EU internal market emergency framework from late May 2026. Manufacturers and importers of crisis-relevant electrical products may need to adjust how they demonstrate conformity using EU common specifications during emergencies and prepare for intensified, coordinated market surveillance when an internal market emergency is declared.

23 May 2026, 19:11slov-lex.skSlovakia

EU Joint Action on LED Replacement Tubes Finds Widespread Non-Compliance

In May 2026, an EU Joint Action market-surveillance campaign led by DGCCRF and eight other authorities found widespread non-compliance in LED replacement tubes, with most samples failing safety, marking or EMC requirements. The results signal heightened enforcement risk for LED lighting suppliers across Europe, increasing pressure to verify CE conformity, documentation and labelling before placing products on the market.

23 May 2026, 11:17economie.gouv.frEuropean UnionFranceFinlandMaltaSwedenSwitzerlandIcelandBelgiumCyprusLuxembourg

Germany: Justice Minister Outlines Right-to-Repair Implementation Bill in Bundestag

In May 2026, Germany’s justice minister outlined in the Bundestag the draft law implementing the EU Repair of Goods Directive, highlighting a new right to repair consumer products beyond standard warranty periods. Once enacted, these rules will extend product lifetimes, shift post‑warranty service expectations onto manufacturers, and signal stronger EU‑wide demands on durability and repairability for brands selling appliances, electronics, and other consumer goods.

23 May 2026, 09:09bundesregierung.deGermanyEuropean Union

EEA Joint Committee Decision 24/2026 Incorporates RoHS Lead Exemption Directives Into Annex II to the EEA Agreement

EEA Joint Committee Decision 24/2026, published on 21 May 2026, incorporates three EU RoHS delegated directives granting specific lead-use exemptions into Annex II of the EEA Agreement. This aligns electrical and electronic equipment substance restriction requirements in EEA EFTA States with the latest EU RoHS regime, giving manufacturers access to the same lead exemptions and influencing materials and compliance planning.

23 May 2026, 08:47eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Economic AreaEuropean Union

EEA Incorporates EU RoHS Lead Exemption for Glass and Ceramic Components

The EEA Joint Committee has brought Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2025/2363, which renews and restructures RoHS lead exemptions for glass and ceramic components in electrical and electronic equipment, into the EEA Agreement. Electronics manufacturers selling into the EU and EEA now have harmonised but time-limited exemptions ending in 2027, and should plan substitution and redesign of affected leaded glass and ceramic parts within this window.

23 May 2026, 08:47eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

Slovakia Adopts Government Regulation 95/2026 Amending Rules on Placing Radio Equipment on the Market

In May 2026 Slovakia adopted Government Regulation 95/2026, amending national rules on placing radio equipment on the market. Manufacturers and importers of radio equipment should review the amended Slovak regulation to understand any new technical or documentation requirements before placing products on the Slovak market.

22 May 2026, 18:53slov-lex.skSlovakia

California CalRecycle Reschedules Public Workshop on Covered Battery-Embedded Waste Recycling Fee

California’s CalRecycle has rescheduled its hybrid public workshop on the covered battery-embedded waste recycling fee to 17 June 2026, with participation possible in person, by Zoom, or via webcast. The workshop will shape the design and level of a new recycling fee for battery-embedded electronics from 2027, so manufacturers, importers, and retailers selling into California should follow the process and use the comment period to manage future cost and compliance impacts.

22 May 2026, 18:50www2.calrecycle.ca.govUnited States

EU Publishes 01 July 2026 Consolidated RoHS Directive With Updated Lead Exemptions

The EU has released a consolidated 1 July 2026 version of the RoHS Directive that integrates recent lead-related exemptions and new ECHA-based procedures for RoHS substance reviews. This confirms time-limited lead exemptions in Annex III and a shift to centralised, REACH-style RoHS decision-making from 2027, so electronics manufacturers should align redesign plans and exemption strategies with the 2026–2027 timeline.

21 May 2026, 06:38eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

EU Updates Smartphone And Tablet Energy Labelling Regulation (EU) 2023/1669 After Language Corrections

The EU’s smartphone and tablet energy labelling rules under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1669 are now consolidated following a 2026 corrigendum, with binding labelling, information and database obligations in force since June 2025. Manufacturers and retailers must ensure all EU and EEA devices carry the new label, support the EU product database, and prepare for a 2027 review that may tighten test methods and repairability and durability expectations.

21 May 2026, 06:37eur-lex.europa.euEuropean UnionEuropean Economic Area

Chile (Valparaíso) Reports Advanced Implementation of REP Recycling Law and Highlights New Decree for Batteries and EEE

Chile’s environmental authorities in Valparaíso report advanced implementation of the national extended producer responsibility recycling law, with growing municipal coverage for packaging, selective household collection, and inclusive recycling schemes. The communication also highlights the new national decree for batteries and electrical and electronic equipment, signalling accelerating REP obligations for producers and municipalities as Chile expands its circular economy and waste management framework.

21 May 2026, 06:36mma.gob.clChile

UK OPSS Issues Product Safety Report on Electric Shoe Dryer Import Rejected Over Fire Risk

In May 2026, the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards reported that an imported electric shoe dryer poses a serious fire risk and has been stopped at the border under UK electrical safety regulations. This underlines strict enforcement of product safety rules for low-cost electrical appliances, signalling that importers and retailers must ensure plug-in products meet UK standards or risk rejected consignments and market disruption.

20 May 2026, 19:22gov.ukUnited Kingdom

EU Parliament ITRE Draft Report – Amendments 22–258 to Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 (Critical Raw Materials Act)

In April 2026, the European Parliament’s ITRE committee tabled 237 amendments to the Commission’s proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2024/1252 on critical raw materials, tightening strategic-project rules, corporate supply-chain risk assessments, and labelling and recycled-content requirements for permanent magnets. If agreed, these changes would harden expectations on large manufacturers to map and diversify critical raw-material supply chains, increase circular use of rare earths and other CRM inputs, and could lead to export controls and new EU-level financing and governance tools that materially reshape CRM-dependent value chains.

20 May 2026, 19:20europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

California Bill AB 2549 – Electronic Waste Recycling Manufacturer Notices and Retailer Duties

California’s AB 2549 is advancing in the Assembly and would tighten manufacturer notice, reporting, and CalRecycle infrastructure requirements for battery-embedded electronic products under the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003, including standardised notices, a UPC‑based public database, and defined retailer knowledge thresholds by early 2027. For electronics manufacturers, marketplace facilitators, and retailers selling into California, this would mean new product‑level data and notice workflows, closer alignment of billing systems to 60‑day compliance windows, and reliance on the CalRecycle database to manage fee obligations once the bill is enacted.

20 May 2026, 18:00leginfo.legislature.ca.govUnited States

European NGOs Publish Joint Position On Revision Of EU WEEE Directive

In May 2026 a coalition of European environmental NGOs led by the EEB published a detailed joint position calling for an ambitious overhaul of the EU WEEE Directive into a directly applicable regulation with binding waste-prevention, reuse and CRM-recovery measures. If even partly reflected in the Commission’s forthcoming revision, producers and importers of electrical and electronic equipment could face significantly tighter design, EPR, collection and data obligations over the next decade, with knock-on impacts on product strategy, repair models and supply-chain planning.

20 May 2026, 17:52eeb.orgEuropean Union