Blog - Die Produktkanzlei

3. February 2026 Nicole Rauch

Fifth Act Amending the Chemicals Act: Adaptation to the F-Gas Regulation 2024/573 and the Ozone Regulation 2024/593

The draft of the fifth law amending the Chemicals Act serves to align national chemicals legislation with Regulation (EU) 2024/573 on fluorinated greenhouse gases and Regulation (EU) 2024/590 on substances that deplete the ozone layer.

22. January 2026 Martin Ahlhaus

What’s changing in 2026: Chemicals legislation

As in previous years, chemicals legislation will undergo a wide range of changes in 2026, posing considerable challenges for affected companies.

21. January 2026 Dr. Florian Niermeier

What’s changing in 2026: product-related civil and competition law

Regulation continues at full speed in product-related civil and competition law

20. January 2026 Prof. Dr. Boris Handorn & Anna Christ

What’s changing in 2026: Life Science

In 2026, the developments initiated in 2025 continue. The focus remains on the draft proposal published by the European Commission on 16 December 2025 concerning the reform of the MDR and IVDR. Beyond this, digitalization continues to represent a central theme in the life sciences sector, including at the national level. In this context, particular emphasis is placed on reducing bureaucratic burdens as well as on data protection and data transparency.

15. January 2026 Dr. Gerhard Wiebe & Johannes Daelen, LL.M.

What’s changing in 2026: Product-related IT regulation and product liability law

2024 could be the year of regulation of smart and digital products. This is because the EU players already agreed on a Cyber Resilience Act and an AI Act at the end of 2023, meaning that they can be expected to be adopted in 2024. Negotiations on the new EU Product Liability Directive, which will replace Directive 85/374/EEC and comprehensively reform product liability law, are also in the “hot phase”; it is therefore not unlikely that the new EU Product Liability Directive will be adopted in 2024.

14. January 2026 Dr. Carsten Schucht & Marie Carnap, LL.M.

What’s changing in 2026: Product Safety Law and Ecodesign Law

Product safety in 2026 will primarily be shaped by national legislative developments concerning the new Product Safety Act (Produktsicherheitsgesetz – ProdSG). This reform responds to the EU General Product Safety Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/988 – GPSR), applicable throughout the EU since 13.12.2024 and recently supplemented by the long-awaited GPSR Guidelines of the European Commission. Sector-specific product safety law will be marked by developments in EU toy law and EU machinery law. Finally, important changes are expected in the field of Ecodesign law.

13. January 2026 Michael Öttinger & Paul Jäde, M.Sc.

What’s changing in 2026: Product-related environmental law and supply chain due diligence

In the area of product-related environmental law, the year 2026 will be characterized at the European level by further implementation steps within the framework of the EU Battery Regulation and the start of application of the EU Packaging Regulation. At the national level, the implementation of these two legal acts is at the center of attention. In addition, purely national accents are being set in the area of electrical equipment regulation. Further developments regarding the implementation of due diligence obligations in various supply chains will also remain a major topic in 2026.

9. December 2025 Marie Carnap, LL.M.

The New Machinery Regulation Implementation Act – National Specifications Supplementing the EU Machinery Regulation

With Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 the European regulatory framework for machinery has been comprehensively updated. The new regime was adopted on 14.06.2023 and will apply in full and directly in all Member States from 20.01.2027.

9. December 2025 Paul Jäde, M.Sc.

Implementation of the Environmental Criminal Law Directive – Draft bill by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection

Under the radar of the general public, motion 061, “Recognising the crime of ecocide to protect nature”, was passed at the World Conservation Congress from 9 to 15 October 2025. Among other things, the motion invites states to establish so-called “ecocide” as a criminal offence in national law and welcomes the fact that some legal systems have already done so.

5. December 2025 Nicole Rauch

Regulation (EU) 2025/2439 – Postponement of the rules on classification, labelling, and packaging of chemicals until 2028

With Regulation (EU) 2025/2439, the Parliament has decided to postpone the date of application of the transitional provisions of Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 amending the CLP.