Firms feel impact of tighter product rules
A review by business-law firm Mason Hayes & Curran (MHC) says that businesses face multiple enforcement deadlines under tightening EU product regulations.
The firm's Product and Consumer Protection Annual Review looks at significant regulatory developments that are reshaping how products are designed, marketed, and sold across the EU.
Michaela Herron (MHC partner and head of product regulatory) described 2025 as “a year of material change” in EU product and consumer law.
“Safety and liability rules have moved on, and businesses are already feeling the impact,” she stated.
Mental-health risks
The MHC review examines the European Commission’s new guidance on the General Product Safety Regulation, which clarifies how businesses must assess mental-health and cyber-security risks, manage product recalls, and report safety issues.
The review points out that, when assessing mental-health risks, firms must consider “the characteristics, effect, and presentation of a product”, as well as the categories of consumers using the product.
It sets out what the new Toy Safety Regulation (TSR) means for manufacturers and sellers, from wider chemical bans to digital product passports and stricter online marketplace controls.
The publication also examines the ban on TPO, a chemical used in UV gel nail products, and examines how trade mark rights interact with the growing market for repaired and refurbished goods.
Sustainability obligations
MHC states that sustainability obligations are expanding across “multiple fronts” in the coming years.
The firm says that businesses must prepare for deforestation due-diligence requirements, new battery supply-chain rules, and stricter packaging standards, with phased deadlines from 2026 onwards.
Anna Lundy (of counsel, product regulatory) said that the changes shared a common focus on accountability throughout product lifecycles.