Traceability

Circular Action Alliance Opens Public Comment On REM Recycling Standard

In May 2026, US producer responsibility organisation Circular Action Alliance opened a 45-day public consultation on its draft Responsible Markets (REM) recycling standard, a voluntary certification framework defining what counts as a responsibly managed end market under emerging packaging EPR laws. If widely adopted, this standard could become a de facto compliance benchmark for state EPR programmes, shaping how brands and recyclers qualify downstream outlets, manage traceability, and demonstrate that packaging is recycled into safe, verifiable end uses.

14 May 2026, 18:37circularactionalliance.orgUnited States

Sweden (SIS) Launches Eight European Standards for Digital Product Passports

New EU ecodesign rules and a suite of eight harmonised European standards are defining how digital product passports will work across almost all product categories on the EU internal market from 2027, with Sweden’s standards body SIS leading key modules and launching them at a dedicated June 2026 event. These standards will become the de facto blueprint for manufacturers, importers and brands when designing DPP data models and systems, influencing future compliance, traceability, circularity planning and customer information strategies under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

14 May 2026, 06:00sis.seEuropean UnionSweden

South Korea MFDS Consults On Amendments To Food Traceability Management Standards

In April 2026, South Korea’s MFDS consulted on amendments to the Food Traceability Management Standards to enable remote registration audits and introduce self-assessment with extended correction periods for non-compliance. These changes, once finalised, will reshape how food business operators are evaluated for traceability compliance, reducing on-site burdens while requiring updates to internal audit and follow-up procedures.

13 May 2026, 18:50mfds.go.krSouth Korea

EU-Funded CIRPASS-2 Project Launches Second SME Consultation on Digital Product Passports

In April 2026 the EU-funded CIRPASS-2 project launched a second SME-focused consultation on opportunities and challenges for implementing Digital Product Passports under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. The findings will inform CIRPASS-2 recommendations that can guide how SMEs and service providers prepare their data, tools, and compliance strategies as ESPR-driven DPP obligations roll out across EU value chains.

13 May 2026, 11:50cirpass2.euEuropean Union

Netherlands Publishes NEN Advice on Clean Fuel Protocol and Clean Fuel Contracts

In May 2026 the Dutch parliament published NEN’s advisory gap analysis on the Clean Fuel Protocol and Clean Fuel Contracts, outlining how EU climate and sustainability reporting regimes will require a new national standard and certification scheme for traceable fuel data. This signals that fuel suppliers and large fuel users in the Netherlands are likely to face future NEN-based requirements for verifiable, audit-ready fuel sustainability information aligned with RED, EU ETS 2, CSRD and ESPR, so they may need to assess systems, data flows and partners in advance.

12 May 2026, 18:15zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nlNetherlands

Australia TGA Clarifies AusUDID Production vs Pre-Production and 30-Day UDI Data Rules

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has clarified how sponsors and manufacturers must use the AusUDID production and pre-production environments, strengthened 30-day rules for maintaining accurate UDI records, and confirmed that only live AusUDID data counts toward UDI compliance. This update tightens governance expectations for Australian medical device sponsors, especially those using HL7 SPL or other automated submissions, who may need to adjust systems and data workflows so validated production records underpin device traceability and regulatory assurance.

12 May 2026, 17:52tga.gov.auAustralia

Shanghai Customs and MPA Launch Electronic Label Pilot for Imported Cosmetics in Pudong

From 11 May 2026, Shanghai Customs and the Shanghai Municipal Medical Products Administration will enforce an electronic-label pilot for selected imported cosmetics entering through Pudong ports. Importers and their agents must adjust customs declarations and packaging controls to meet new QR-based labelling checks, signalling a shift toward more digital, data-driven supervision of cosmetic imports that could later expand beyond Shanghai.

11 May 2026, 12:06cosmetic.chemlinked.comChina

EU Updates Union Register of Novel Recycling Technologies for Food-Contact Plastics (Version 1.2.2, 27 April 2026)

European Commission DG SANTE has published version 1.2.2 of List 5 in the Union register of Novel Technology Numbers for recycled plastic food-contact materials, expanding the register to 27 validated novel recycling technologies as of 27 April 2026. This signals that the NTN register is becoming a central compliance reference, so recyclers and food-contact packaging value chains should ensure their technologies are correctly registered and that documentation and supplier due diligence align with the Union register entries.

11 May 2026, 10:30food.ec.europa.euEuropean Union

Spain: Community of Madrid Adopts Decree 47/2026 Establishing Olive Traceability Measures

The Community of Madrid has adopted Decree 47/2026 establishing a mandatory traceability system for olives from farm to mill, with new documentation and registration duties for all operators in the regional supply chain. This will tighten oversight of olive flows, improve food safety assurance and anti-theft controls, and requires producers, mills and transporters in Madrid to upgrade record-keeping and prepare for more frequent official inspections.

9 May 2026, 18:53bocm.esSpain

EU Commission Approves Data Storage Provider for Tobacco Products Traceability System (Directive 2014/40/EU)

In May 2026 the European Commission adopted Decision C(2026)3178 approving the data storage provider and related contract for the EU tobacco products traceability system under Directive 2014/40/EU. This locks in the central provider that will host mandatory traceability data, so tobacco manufacturers and supply-chain operators must ensure their reporting interfaces and contracts align with the newly designated service going forward.

9 May 2026, 07:16ec.europa.euEuropean Union

EU Co-Legislators Agree Draft Regulation on the Welfare and Traceability of Dogs and Cats

EU co-legislators have agreed a near-final text for a new regulation establishing harmonised welfare standards and a comprehensive traceability system for all dogs and cats bred, kept, traded or imported in the Union, with implementation staggered over several years after future publication. If adopted as drafted, breeders, sellers, shelters, foster networks, importers and online platforms will face far-reaching new obligations on housing, breeding practices, microchipping and registration, data sharing and online verification that will require multi-year planning, systems changes and coordination across Member States.

9 May 2026, 07:16eur-lex.europa.euEuropean Union

European Commission Webinar on EU Digital Product Passport for Batteries

In May 2026 the European Commission will hold an online webinar to brief the battery value chain on upcoming Digital Product Passport data and transparency requirements, with agenda slots on policy developments, interoperability, industry readiness and case studies. This signals accelerating implementation of EU Digital Product Passport obligations for batteries, and companies across the ecosystem should begin aligning data, IT systems and supply-chain processes to meet future traceability and reporting expectations.

8 May 2026, 17:54single-market-economy.ec.europa.euEuropean Union

UN ESCAP Adopts Resolution on Sustainable Bioeconomy in Asia and the Pacific

UN ESCAP’s April 2026 resolution 82/2 promotes a sustainable bioeconomy as a pathway to deliver regional 2030 Agenda, climate and biodiversity goals in Asia and the Pacific. It encourages governments to integrate bioeconomy principles into national strategies, develop and harmonise sustainable bio-based product standards, mobilise blended finance and task the ESCAP secretariat with supporting implementation and reporting.

Argentina Establishes Procedure for EU–Mercosur Origin Declarations (SSCE Disposición 1/2026)

Argentina’s Subsecretaría de Comercio Exterior has issued Disposición 1/2026, effective 1 May 2026, creating a TAD-based procedure for exporters to issue Declarations of Origin under the EU–Mercosur Interim Trade Agreement. This introduces new documentation, electronic signature, record-keeping and sanctions rules that exporters must follow to secure preferential tariffs for shipments from Argentina to the EU.

6 May 2026, 07:47boletinoficial.gob.arArgentinaEuropean Union

Kansas Board of Pharmacy Sets Hearing on Proposed Pharmacy Regulation Amendments, Including DSCSA Requirements

Kansas has opened a 60-day comment period and scheduled a 30 June 2026 hearing on proposed amendments to several Board of Pharmacy regulations and a new rule aligning state enforcement with the federal Drug Supply Chain Security Act. Pharmacies and other registered facilities should review exam, labelling, record-keeping and DSCSA notification requirements now so their systems, procedures and training can be updated ahead of final adoption.

5 May 2026, 15:42sos.ks.govUnited States

UNECE CTCS Publishes Annotated Provisional Agenda for Eleventh Session on Product Safety and Traceability (ECE/CTCS/2026/1)

UNECE’s Steering Committee on Trade Capacity and Standards has published the annotated agenda for its June 2026 eleventh session, highlighting updates on agricultural standards, regulatory cooperation, a new Basics of Product Safety publication and work on digital traceability and sustainable value chains. The meeting will steer future UNECE standards and tools on product safety, circular-economy trade and digital product passports, signalling where regulators and businesses may soon face evolving expectations on compliance, transparency and sustainable supply chains.

European Parliament Adopts First-Reading Position On Welfare Of Dogs And Cats And Their Traceability Regulation

The European Parliament has adopted its first-reading position on a new EU Regulation that will set harmonised welfare standards and traceability rules for dogs and cats, including mandatory microchipping, registration in interoperable databases, and stricter controls on breeding, sales, shelters and online advertising. Once the measure is formally adopted and phased in over a multi-year transition, breeders, shelters, traders, importers and online platforms involved in pet sales will face materially higher compliance expectations, new registration and data-handling duties, and potential enforcement risks across the EU single market.

3 May 2026, 09:13europarl.europa.euEuropean Union

Connecticut HB05155: House-Passed Bill To Establish Online Pesticide Sales And Use Database

In April 2026, the Connecticut House passed HB05155, which would require the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to build an online, publicly accessible database of pesticide sales and use data by December 2028, drawing on existing reporting under the state’s pesticide control law. If enacted, this will significantly increase transparency around where, what and how much pesticide is used in Connecticut, raising visibility of usage patterns and potential risk hotspots even though formal reporting duties for distributors and applicators largely remain unchanged for now.

1 May 2026, 18:11cga.ct.govUnited States

UK Government Lays Digital Waste Tracking Regulations Requiring Real-Time Waste Audit Trails in England

The UK government has laid draft Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations that will make real-time digital audit trails mandatory for controlled waste handled at permitted facilities, supported by a new national digital tracking service and phased UK-wide rollout from late 2026. This will significantly reshape waste compliance and enforcement, requiring operators to implement new data systems, pay annual tracking fees, and prepare for increased regulatory scrutiny and cross-UK alignment on waste crime and reporting.

30 Apr 2026, 10:49legislation.gov.ukUnited Kingdom

UK Government Lays Draft Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026

The UK Government has laid draft Digital Waste Tracking (England) Regulations 2026 to create a mandatory digital system for tracking all controlled waste handled by permitted facilities in England from October 2026. This regime will impose near real-time data entry, fee, and record-keeping duties backed by criminal penalties and civil sanctions, materially increasing traceability and enforcement risk around waste crime for waste operators.

30 Apr 2026, 10:49legislation.gov.ukUnited Kingdom