DRRR 2026 Consumer Goods and Packaging Catalogue Released
From food contact materials to e-cigarettes, registration for 2026 proficiency testing is now open. What protects a laboratory’s accreditation is not its instrument park but its ability to demonstrate the accuracy of its results independently. A proficiency testing plan is therefore not an administrative task carried out at the start of the year, but a…
Procedure P704 Has Been Revised; List of Subfields L704-001 Has Been Published
The Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) has enacted the “P704 Procedure for Proficiency Testing and Interlaboratory Comparison Programs Other Than Proficiency Testing,” which directly affects the proficiency testing processes of laboratories and conformity assessment bodies, through its 13th revision. The agency also published for the first time the new “L704-001 List of Subfields” document, which will…
REACH Entry 77 Formaldehyde Limits for Furniture Are Taking Effect
The European Union has added a new chemical restriction aimed at improving indoor air quality and protecting consumer health. Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1464, Entry 77, added to Annex XVII of REACH, imposes strict limits on formaldehyde emissions in many consumer products, particularly furniture and wood-based products. Effective August 6, 2026, this regulation prohibits the placing…
New Regulation from the European Commission on Textile Waste: Reporting Rules Are Being Updated
The European Union (EU) continues to tighten its waste management policies in the textile sector in line with its sustainability and circular economy goals. The European Commission announced in July 2026 that it would comprehensively update the current reporting requirements for used clothing, home textiles, and general textile waste as part of a new initiative.…
Critical Standard Updates in the Textile Industry
The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) have updated important technical standards and guidelines that directly affect the textile industry. With these revisions, new rules regarding both laboratory testing methods and circular economy processes have come into effect, and the deadlines for the withdrawal of the old national…
Market Surveillance Alert: Safety Gate Warnings and PPE
Product safety monitoring in the European Union market continues uninterrupted through the Safety Gate system (formerly known as RAPEX). This rapid alert system for non-food hazardous products within the EU enables national market surveillance authorities to share information and take coordinated action across borders. In July 2026, the EU issued numerous recall notices covering consumer,…
A New Era for PPE: The EU Has Updated Its Harmonized Standards
The European Union’s framework for the conformity assessment of personal protective equipment (PPE) is being reshaped. On June 16, 2026, the European Commission published Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1279 on harmonized standards supporting the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425. The new decision repeals the previous Decision (EU) 2023/941, while allowing certain standards to remain in effect…
