Blog - Die Produktkanzlei

21. October 2021 Dr. Gerhard Wiebe

Product law requirements for smart textiles – manufacturer obligations and liability risks

So far there is no specific legal framework for the product area of smart textiles or smart clothes. This creates a certain degree of uncertainty among manufacturers and acts as an obstacle to development. However, a closer look shows that the existing legal situation enables a legally secure development, production and subsequent distribution of textiles 4.0.

14. September 2021 Martin Ahlhaus

SCIP database published

As of 14.09.2021, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has granted public access to the so-called SCIP database. Buyers and consumers can use this to access information on substances of very high concern in articles.
According to ECHA, the database currently contains entries from more than 6,000 companies and notifications for more than four million articles. The database can be searched for the article using the article name, brand, category or material type, among others.

9. August 2021 Dr. Gerhard Wiebe

From 01.09.2021: Start of applicability of the EU regulations on ecodesign and energy labels for light sources

From 01.09.2021, the two practically relevant regulations on ecodesign and energy labels for lighting products shall apply. The ecodesign legislation in the form of Regulation (EU) 2019/2020 sets out requirements for the environmentally compatible design of light sources. Regulation (EU) 2019/2015, on the other hand, regulates the energy consumption labelling of light sources; it thus enables consumers to make a comparison with regard to energy consumption and serves as an orientation aid when making a purchase decision. For manufacturers, importers and retailers, 01.09.2021 marks an important point in time, as new requirements and obligations will be imposed on them.

19. July 2021 Michael Öttinger

Supply Chain Act – Final version includes relevant changes in detail

The version of the so-called Supply Chain Act finally passed by the German Bundesrat on 25.06.2021 definitely contains relevant changes compared to the numerous previous versions. These changes will be presented in this article.

25. June 2021 Michael Öttinger

Supply Chain Due Diligence for Human Rights and Environmental Harm: Germany and UK compared

We are in a period of rapid change for supply chain due diligence, brought about by a powerful combination of investor focus on ESG factors, rising consumer demands for sustainable products backed by increasing scepticism of ‘greenwash’, and an upwards trend in Government regulation.

11. June 2021 Dr. Gerhard Wiebe

IT security-related obligations of smart product manufacturers

IT security-related obligations have so far been unjustly neglected by manufacturers of smart products. Manufacturers of smart products already have corresponding obligations today, the disregard and violation of which can lead to considerable liability risks.

5. June 2021 Dr. Gerhard Wiebe

New Market Surveillance Act passed

The German Bundestag and the Bundesrat have now agreed on a German Market Surveillance Act (MüG) which regulates market surveillance in the non-food sector. The MüG serves to implement the new EU Market Surveillance Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1020) and transfers the market surveillance law regulated in the previous german product safety act (ProdSG) into a separate law.

25. May 2021 Dr. Gerhard Wiebe

The German Bundestag passed the Product Safety Act (ProdSG) on 20.05.2021

On 20.05.2021, the Bundestag passed the Act on the Adaptation of the Product Safety Act and the Reorganisation of the Law on Installations subject to mandatory inspection.

14. May 2021 Michael Öttinger

Amendment of VerpackG – new requirements for single-use plastic packaging

For the national implementation of the European legal requirements of Directive (EU) 2019/904 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment, new requirements are also included in the VerpackG. Further national provisions to implement the aforementioned directive are contained in the EWKVerbotsV and the EWKKennzV.

11. May 2021 Michael Öttinger

Amendment of VerpackG – extensive changes ahead

Following its entry into force in 2019, the VerpackG is now facing its first far-reaching amendment. The main objectives of the amendment are, on the one hand, the implementation of European legal requirements with regard to single-use plastic products and, on the other hand, the simplification and improvement of enforcement through extended obligations and better transparency.