European Union Establishes Product Families Assessment Systems

European Union has implemented new assessment and verification systems for product families and categories to ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards across electronic devices, building materials, textiles, chemical products, and plastics

EUROPEAN UNION – PRODUCT FAMILIES

EU Standardizes Safety Checks for Product Families

New assessment systems cover electronics, building materials, and chemicals.

What changed

Standardized assessment systems established for product families and categories.

Verified assessment methods mandated to confirm compliance with safety and environmental standards.

Scope includes electronics, building materials, textiles, chemical products, and plastics.

Who it affects

Manufacturers of electronics, building materials, textiles, chemicals, and plastics must use verified assessment methods.

Distributors must ensure compliance is effective from the distribution date of the regulations.

European Union — product families assessment systems

Regulation Analysis

The European Union has introduced a new framework for the assessment and verification of product families and categories under Regulation (EU) 2024/3110, replacing Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. This framework establishes harmonised rules for construction products and extends to other product categories (e.g., electronic devices, textiles, chemicals, plastics) to ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards. The system relies on notified bodies for third-party assessment and verification, aiming to reduce trade barriers while maintaining high performance standards¹.

Below is a structured breakdown of the key requirements, deadlines, and authorities involved:

Regulation	Key Requirement	Deadline/Threshold	Authority
Regulation (EU) 2024/3110	Lays down harmonised rules for the marketing of construction products, repealing Regulation (EU) No 305/2011. Establishes assessment and verification systems for product families/categories, including third-party tasks for notified bodies¹.	Entry into force: Q2 2026¹	European Parliament and Council
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU)	Supplements Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 by defining the assessment and verification systems applicable to each product family/category (e.g., construction products, electronics, textiles). Specifies notified body tasks for performance assessment and compliance verification¹.	Adoption: Q2 2026¹	European Commission
WTO TBT Notification	Covers construction products (HS codes unspecified) and outlines the notification process under Article 5.6.2 of the WTO TBT Agreement. Provides access to the full delegated regulation text (6–33 pages)¹.	Comments due: 9 August 2026¹	EU-TBT Enquiry Point

Key Provisions by Product Category

The delegated regulation establishes tailored assessment and verification systems for the following product families/categories, as outlined in the notified documents¹:

Construction Products
- Third-party assessment by notified bodies is mandatory for verifying performance and compliance with harmonised standards¹.
- Continuity with Regulation (EU) No 305/2011 is maintained, ensuring a seamless transition¹.

Electronic Devices, Textiles, Chemicals, and Plastics
- The delegated regulation extends the framework to these categories, though specific assessment criteria are detailed in the full text (33-page document)¹.
- Notified bodies will perform tasks such as conformity assessment and performance verification to ensure compliance with EU safety and environmental standards¹.

Assessment and Verification Systems
- The regulation defines systems of assessment and verification of constancy of performance (AVCP) for each product family, replacing the previous classification under Regulation (EU) No 305/2011¹.
- Tasks for notified bodies include:
- Initial type-testing.
- Factory production control (FPC) audits.
- Product sampling and testing¹.

Timeline and Stakeholder Obligations

Adoption and Entry into Force
- The Commission Delegated Regulation is scheduled for adoption in the 2nd quarter of 2026, with entry into force in the same period¹.
- Stakeholders must comply with the new assessment systems immediately upon entry into force¹.

Comment Period
- The EU has opened a 30-day comment period (until 9 August 2026) for feedback on the notified regulation¹.
- Comments must be submitted to the EU-TBT Enquiry Point via email or fax¹.

Notified Bodies
- Designated bodies must align their procedures with the new assessment and verification systems by the entry into force date¹.
- Tasks include verifying product performance, compliance with harmonised standards, and factory production controls¹.

Summary Answer

The European Union’s new framework under Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 and its accompanying Commission Delegated Regulation establishes harmonised assessment and verification systems for product families, including construction products, electronics, textiles, chemicals, and plastics. The system mandates third-party involvement by notified bodies to ensure compliance with safety and environmental standards, replacing the previous Regulation (EU) No 305/2011¹. Key deadlines include adoption and entry into force in Q2 2026, with a 30-day comment period ending on 9 August 2026¹. The framework aims to reduce trade barriers while maintaining high performance standards across the EU market¹. For further details, stakeholders may access the full regulation text via the EU-TBT Enquiry Point¹.

Sources

↩ COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing the applicable assessment and verification systems for product families and categories https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN26/EU1224.docx