Traceability

Council Adopts EU Regulation on Welfare and Traceability of Cats and Dogs

EU ministers have adopted the first harmonised regulation on the welfare, identification and traceability of cats and dogs, setting binding EU-wide standards for breeders, shelters, traders and online platforms with phased implementation across the single market. This will tighten control of the pet trade, requiring robust identification and registration systems and equivalent standards for imports, so operators must prepare for new welfare, traceability and data-verification obligations as the rules phase in.

25 May 2026, 15:44consilium.europa.euEuropean Union

Australia TGA Issues Updated Guidance on UDI Compliance Timeframes for Medical Devices and IVDs

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has updated its UDI guidance to set phased compliance dates through 2030 for labelling, database record submission and direct marking of medical devices and IVDs. Device sponsors and manufacturers must align labelling, data systems and supply-chain controls with these deadlines or seek consent to supply, particularly for high-risk classes and existing stock in sponsor control.

25 May 2026, 15:26tga.gov.auAustralia

Australia TGA Schedules UDI Information Session Ahead of 1 July 2026 Mandatory Deadline

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has confirmed that Unique Device Identification will be a legally mandatory requirement for high-risk and implantable medical devices from 1 July 2026, and is holding an online information session for clinical quality registries on 25 May 2026. Manufacturers, sponsors and registry operators should now finalise UDI implementation plans so that device data, systems and processes are ready in time to maintain compliance and support robust clinical outcome monitoring.

24 May 2026, 21:41tga.gov.auAustralia

CIRPASS-2 Maps Global Digital Product Passport Standardisation Initiatives

An EU-funded CIRPASS-2 report consolidates global Digital Product Passport standardisation projects, including upcoming CEN/CENELEC JTC 24 DPP system standards and parallel work at ISO/IEC, UNECE, ETSI, IEEE, W3C and Chinese bodies, to support implementation of the EU DPP under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. This landscape helps regulatory and product teams anticipate which international DPP frameworks and data models are likely to align with or diverge from the EU DPP, shaping future interoperability, supplier expectations, and system design choices.

24 May 2026, 20:56zenodo.orgEuropean UnionGlobal

US FDA Announces FSPCA Industry Training on the Food Traceability Rule

In May 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration and the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance launched a new FSPCA training curriculum to help industry implement the Food Traceability Rule, with registration now open and a related virtual public meeting scheduled for 15 June 2026. Companies subject to the rule’s traceability recordkeeping requirements should consider enrolling staff and engaging in the meeting to strengthen compliance planning ahead of enforcement, which is currently deferred until July 2028.

24 May 2026, 20:48fda.govUnited States

Czech Republic Ends Sell-Through Period for Unlabelled Non-Cigarette Tobacco Products

As of 20 May 2026, Czech authorities are enforcing EU tobacco traceability requirements across all tobacco product types, ending the sell-through period for older unlabelled non-cigarette stock and requiring unique identifiers and security stamps on all unit and group packs. Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers must remove any remaining unlabelled products from EU circulation or export, ensure full traceability labelling on all tobacco packs, and prepare for SZPI inspections using the central traceability database.

23 May 2026, 19:57szpi.gov.czCzechiaEuropean Union

Australia TGA Issues User Guide for AusUDID Bulk UDI Upload Template

Australia’s TGA has issued a detailed user guide on using the Australian UDI Bulk Upload Template to submit up to 200 Unique Device Identification records at once into the AusUDID database. The guidance strengthens implementation of Australia’s UDI regime by clarifying roles, required data fields, editing rules, and portal steps so sponsors and manufacturers can scale compliant device data submissions efficiently.

23 May 2026, 19:37tga.gov.auAustralia

Australia TGA Publishes Guidance On Managing UDI Records With Multiple Sponsors

In May 2026, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration issued guidance clarifying how sponsors must manage Unique Device Identification records in the AusUDID when the same medical device model is supplied by multiple sponsors. Sponsors must coordinate on shared device data, maintain their own sponsor-specific fields, and treat changes as formal corrections, reinforcing traceability, accountability, and compliance within Australia’s UDI regime.

23 May 2026, 19:37tga.gov.auAustralia

Australia TGA Publishes AusUDID Portal User Guide for Submitting UDI Records

Australia’s medicines regulator has issued a detailed user guide showing sponsors and manufacturers how to create, manage, correct and, where justified, delete Unique Device Identification records for medical devices in the AusUDID portal. This guidance strengthens implementation of the national UDI regime by clarifying system roles, record-keeping expectations, and portal workflows needed for reliable device traceability and future compliance management.

23 May 2026, 19:36tga.gov.auAustralia

Australia TGA Publishes UDI Consent Application Guide for Non-Compliant Medical Devices

In May 2026, Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration issued detailed guidance on how sponsors can seek consent to import, supply or export medical devices that do not meet UDI-related Essential Principles, including a streamlined pathway for UDI-only issues. This clarifies when reduced application fees will apply from 1 July 2026 and how to structure consent applications so companies can manage non-compliant inventory while staying aligned with Australia’s evolving UDI regime.

23 May 2026, 19:35tga.gov.auAustralia

Michigan CRA Updates Metrc Virtual Transfer Guidance on Inventory Responsibility

Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency has immediately tightened its Metrc virtual transfer policy, making receiving licensees fully responsible for correcting inventory discrepancies once packages are accepted into their Metrc accounts. This change increases compliance and record-keeping risk for Michigan cannabis businesses, which must now rely on Metrc package adjustments or physical returns while expecting virtual transfers to be granted only in narrowly defined error scenarios.

23 May 2026, 19:03michigan.govUnited States

Slovenia Activates DIWASS for Electronic Cross-Border Waste Shipment Procedures

Slovenia’s environment inspectorate has confirmed that the EU DIWASS digital waste shipment system becomes fully operational on 21 May 2026, making electronic submission and processing of most cross-border waste shipment documents mandatory via DIWASS or connected national systems. Waste operators must ensure their IT and procedures support DIWASS-based workflows, while noting that Annex VII shipments may continue to use paper documentation until the end of 2026, affecting how they plan compliance and logistics during the transition period.

22 May 2026, 16:50gov.siSlovenia

EEC Council Adopts Unified Marking Rules for Sports Nutrition Products in EAEU

The EEC Council has adopted unified rules for digital marking of sports nutrition products across the EAEU, with each member state to set its own implementation date subject to at least six months’ prior notice. This will require sports nutrition manufacturers and importers to upgrade labelling and traceability systems ahead of national roll-outs to maintain compliant access to EAEU markets.

EU JRC Publishes Preparatory Study on Digital Product Passport Content for Textile Apparel Under ESPR

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has issued a preparatory science-for-policy study recommending detailed Digital Product Passport data requirements for textile apparel under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, ahead of a delegated act on textile DPPs tentatively expected around 2027. If followed, these recommendations would require apparel brands and importers to upgrade identifiers, data systems and supply-chain information flows to capture granular product, sustainability and substances-of-concern data in time to integrate with the EU-wide DPP registry and web portal that must be established by mid-2026.

21 May 2026, 11:20susproc.jrc.ec.europa.euEuropean Union

Denmark Consults On EU Draft Amendments To Olive Oil Marketing Standards

The European Commission’s olive oil marketing and conformity-check regulations are being updated, and Denmark’s food authority is consulting stakeholders on the draft EU amendments until mid-June 2026. Producers and traders of monovarietal extra virgin olive oils should prepare for potential changes to sterol limits, labelling, traceability and control requirements across the EU market.

20 May 2026, 19:23hoeringsportalen.dkEuropean UnionDenmark

EU Industry Coalition Calls for Digital EU‑Wide One‑Stop Shop for EPR

On 18 May 2026, a coalition of European retail, packaging and compliance organisations issued a joint statement urging the European Commission to create a digital EU-wide one-stop shop for Extended Producer Responsibility as part of the forthcoming Circular Economy Act. If taken up, a harmonised digital EPR portal could significantly streamline multi-country registration and reporting for producers, reduce administrative costs, and reshape how EPR compliance is managed across EU markets.

20 May 2026, 19:19eurocommerce.euEuropean Union

Denmark Consults on EU Draft Amending Regulation (EC) 853/2004 for Live Bivalve Mollusc TRACES Registration

Denmark has opened a consultation on an EU draft delegated regulation amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 to digitise live bivalve mollusc registration documents in TRACES and refine intermediary-operator hygiene documentation requirements. Shellfish producers, dispatch centres and intermediary operators should assess data and systems impacts ahead of the 2 June 2026 consultation deadline and a later 24‑month TRACES transition that will make the new registration document model mandatory for all live bivalve consignments.

20 May 2026, 07:09prodstoragehoeringspo.blob.core.windows.netEuropean UnionDenmark

China NMPA Adds UDI and GMP Infographics to Medical Device Policy Interpretation Portal

China’s National Medical Products Administration has expanded its medical device policy interpretation portal with new infographic and explainer series on unique device identification, manufacturing quality management and full-lifecycle supervision. These visual guides do not change underlying obligations but help manufacturers and regulators align implementation of existing rules and manage compliance more consistently across device portfolios.

20 May 2026, 05:42nmpa.gov.cnChina

China NMPA Launches Cosmetics Electronic Labelling Pilot Programme

China’s National Medical Products Administration has launched a three-year pilot programme from February 2026 for electronic labelling of cosmetics in selected provinces, backed by detailed technical and regulatory requirements for QR codes, digital content and data submission. Cosmetics companies considering participation will need to upgrade labelling and IT systems to meet China’s cosmetics, cybersecurity and data rules, manage dual physical–electronic label obligations, and monitor provincial implementation, enforcement and future nationwide roll-out.

20 May 2026, 05:39english.nmpa.gov.cnChina

Romania Environmental Guard Seizes 500 kg of Undocumented Catfish in Tulcea County

In April 2026, Romania’s National Environmental Guard reported a major enforcement action, seizing around 500 kg of undocumented catfish at a checkpoint in Tulcea County and impounding the transport vehicle under criminal law. The case underscores a tougher stance on food-supply traceability and documentation, signalling higher enforcement and reputational risk for operators moving animal products without robust provenance records.

19 May 2026, 21:06gnm.roRomania