Requirements check
E-mobility (e-bikes, e-scooters)
EPACs (pedal assist, max 250 W continuous, cut-off at 25 km/h) are excluded from EU type-approval Regulation 168/2013 and instead fall under machinery legislation (EN 15194 is the reference standard); faster or throttle-only vehicles need type approval — out of this dataset's scope. RoHS and WEEE expressly include electric two-wheel vehicles that are not type-approved. The mains entries refer to the charger, which is a separate LVD/electrical-safety product. UK: privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads (rental trials only) — flag this to buyers; UK machinery duties sit in the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008, not a separate id here — verify. US: low-speed e-bikes are consumer products under CPSC jurisdiction (bicycle rule 16 CFR 1512 applies to low-speed electric bicycles — verify applicability); New York City and other jurisdictions mandate UL 2272/UL 2849 certification, and CPSC actively pursues lithium battery fire hazards. Electric ride-on toys for young children are toys (EN 62115 / ASTM F963) — hence the forChildren additions.
European Union8 instruments
A full life-cycle regime for all batteries sold in the EU — sustainability, safety, labelling, CE marking, due diligence and end-of-life duties — replacing the old Batteries Directive. It has applied since 18 February 2024, with major requirements phasing in through 2027 and beyond.
Key obligations
- 01From 18 August 2024, batteries must undergo conformity assessment and carry CE marking against the regulation's sustainability, performance and safety requirements.source
- 02Label batteries with required information — including capacity, hazardous substances and the separate-collection symbol; the general battery label applies from 18 August 2026 (or 18 months after the relevant implementing act, whichever is later).source
- 03From 18 February 2027 (Article 11), portable batteries incorporated in products must be readily removable and replaceable by the end-user using commercially available tools; LMT batteries must be removable and replaceable by an independent professional. Limited derogations exist (e.g. wet-environment appliances, certain medical devices).source
- 04From 18 February 2027, LMT, EV and industrial batteries (above 2 kWh) need a digital battery passport accessible via a QR code.source
Requires electrical and electronic equipment not to generate excessive electromagnetic disturbance and to be adequately immune to it. Compliance is normally self-assessed and leads to CE marking.
Key obligations
- 01Ensure apparatus is designed and manufactured in accordance with the essential requirements of Annex I (limited electromagnetic emissions; adequate immunity for intended use) — Article 7.source
- 02Draw up the technical documentation and carry out the relevant conformity assessment procedure (Article 7(2)).source
- 03Draw up an EU Declaration of Conformity and affix the CE marking; keep the technical documentation and DoC for 10 years (Article 7(2)-(3)).source
- 04Provide information on any specific precautions needed when the apparatus is assembled, installed, maintained or used, so that it preserves EMC conformity.sourceUnverified — check source
The EU's baseline safety law for consumer products, applicable since 13 December 2024. It replaces the General Product Safety Directive and adds duties around traceability, online selling, recalls and having a responsible economic operator in the EU.
Key obligations
- 01Only place safe products on the market. Safety is assessed against the product's characteristics, packaging, instructions, the consumers who will use it, its appearance (food-imitating products) and, where relevant, cybersecurity features.source
- 02A product may only be placed on the EU market if there is a responsible economic operator established in the EU — an EU manufacturer, importer, authorised representative or fulfilment service provider (Article 16).source
- 03Carry out an internal risk analysis and draw up technical documentation; keep product identification and traceability information available (manufacturers, importers and distributors each have tiered duties).source
- 04Report accidents caused by your products and notify dangerous products to the authorities through the Safety Business Gateway.source
Replaces the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC from 20 January 2027 with directly applicable EU-wide rules for machinery safety, adding provisions for digital technologies (AI, connectivity) and allowing digital instructions. Manufacturer obligations do not apply until that date; until then the Machinery Directive governs.
Key obligations
- 01Design and construct machinery in accordance with the essential health and safety requirements (EHSRs) set out in Annex III (Article 10).source
- 02Draw up the technical documentation, carry out the relevant conformity assessment procedure, issue the EU Declaration of Conformity and affix the CE marking (Article 10).source
- 03Provide instructions for use — digital instructions are permitted if the machinery is marked with how to access them, they can be printed and downloaded, and they remain available online for the expected lifetime and at least 10 years; safety information for non-professional users must still be provided in paper form (Article 10(7)).source
- 04Machinery categories listed in Annex I Part A must undergo mandatory third-party conformity assessment; other listed categories (Part B) may self-assess when built to harmonised standards covering all relevant EHSRs.source
The EU's enforcement framework for product rules. Its Article 4 is the practical blocker for online sellers: since 16 July 2021, most CE-marked goods can only be placed on the EU market if an economic operator established in the EU is responsible for compliance tasks — and that operator's contact details must accompany the product.
Key obligations
- 01A product covered by the Article 4 list may only be placed on the EU market if there is an economic operator established in the Union responsible for the Article 4 tasks (applies since 16 July 2021).source
- 02That operator can be: the manufacturer established in the EU; an importer (where the manufacturer is not established in the EU); an authorised representative with a written mandate; or an EU-established fulfilment service provider handling the products (Article 4(2)).source
- 03The operator's tasks (Article 4(3)): verify that the EU Declaration of Conformity and technical documentation exist and keep the DoC available; provide information and documentation to authorities on request; inform authorities when a product presents a risk; cooperate on corrective action.source
- 04The name, registered trade name or trade mark and contact details (including postal address) of the Article 4 operator must be indicated on the product or on its packaging, the parcel or an accompanying document (Article 4(4)).source
The EU's chemicals regulation. For physical-product (article) sellers the practical duties are: communicating Candidate List substances of very high concern (SVHCs) above 0.1% down the supply chain and to consumers, notifying ECHA in some cases, and respecting the Annex XVII restrictions. Full chemical registration applies to substance manufacturers/importers, not typical article sellers.
Key obligations
- 01Article 33(1): if an article contains a Candidate List SVHC above 0.1% weight by weight, provide recipients (businesses in the supply chain) with sufficient information for safe use — at minimum the name of that substance. This applies per article within a complex product.source
- 02Article 33(2): on request from a consumer, provide the same safe-use information (at minimum the substance name) within 45 days, free of charge.source
- 03Article 7(2): EU producers/importers of articles must notify ECHA when a Candidate List substance is present above 0.1% w/w AND its total quantity in those articles exceeds 1 tonne per producer/importer per year — no later than 6 months after the substance is added to the Candidate List. Notification is not required where exposure of humans and the environment can be excluded.source
- 04Notify articles containing Candidate List SVHCs above 0.1% w/w to ECHA's SCIP database (a duty under the Waste Framework Directive, submitted via ECHA).sourceUnverified — check source
Restricts ten hazardous substances — including lead, mercury, cadmium and four phthalates — in electrical and electronic equipment. Compliance is self-assessed, documented through material declarations, and forms part of the CE marking.
Key obligations
- 01Ensure homogeneous materials do not exceed the Annex II maximum concentrations: 0.1% by weight for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE, DEHP, BBP, DBP and DIBP; 0.01% for cadmium.source
- 02The four phthalates (DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP) were added by Delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863 and apply to most EEE from 22 July 2019 (medical devices and monitoring/control instruments from 22 July 2021).source
- 03Carry out the internal production control procedure in line with Module A of Decision 768/2008/EC, draw up technical documentation, and keep it (with the EU Declaration of Conformity) for 10 years (Article 7).source
- 04Draw up an EU Declaration of Conformity and affix the CE marking to the finished product (Article 7).source
Extended producer responsibility for electronics: producers must register in each EU country where they sell, finance the collection and recycling of e-waste, and mark products with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. It is a waste-law obligation, separate from CE marking.
Key obligations
- 01Register as a producer in the national WEEE register of each Member State where you place EEE on the market before selling there (Article 16).source
- 02Finance at least the collection, treatment, recovery and environmentally sound disposal of WEEE from private households (Article 12; Article 13 covers non-household WEEE) — in practice usually via a producer compliance scheme.source
- 03Distance sellers: appoint an authorised representative in each Member State where you sell but are not established, to fulfil the producer obligations there (Article 17).source
- 04Mark EEE with the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol shown in Annex IX (Article 14(4)), plus a mark identifying that it was placed on the market after 13 August 2005 (Article 15(2)).source
Documents you will need
Deduplicated across everything above
- EU Declaration of Conformity + technical documentationRequired for the CE marking of the battery itself (applies since 18 August 2024).source
- Performance and durability informationFrom 18 August 2024, rechargeable industrial batteries >2 kWh, LMT and EV batteries must be accompanied by a document stating electrochemical performance and durability parameters.source
- Battery passport (from 18 February 2027)Digital record for LMT, EV and >2 kWh industrial batteries, linked via QR code.source
- EU Declaration of ConformityKept for 10 years after the apparatus is placed on the market.source
- Technical documentationIncludes the EMC assessment and test reports; kept for 10 years.source
- Instructions and EMC use informationInformation needed to install/use the apparatus in accordance with its intended purpose without breaching EMC requirements.source
- Traceability informationProduct identification (type/batch/serial) plus manufacturer and EU responsible operator contact details must accompany the product.source
- Instructions for useDigital format allowed with access marking, printability and 10-year availability; paper safety information mandatory for non-professional users.source
- Written mandate (when using an authorised representative)The authorised representative must hold a written mandate covering the Article 4 tasks.source
- EU Declaration of Conformity + technical documentation availabilityThe EU operator must be able to verify these exist and produce them for authorities on request.source
- Supplier declarations / full material disclosuresEvidence that Candidate List SVHCs are below 0.1% w/w per article, or the basis of your Article 33 communications.source
- Article 33 safe-use communicationsRecords of the information passed to recipients and provided to consumers within the 45-day deadline.source
- Technical documentation per EN IEC 63000Material declarations, analytical test reports and supplier certificates organised per the harmonised documentation standard.source
- National producer register entries and registration numbersMany Member States require the WEEE registration number on invoices/webshop; requirements vary nationally.source
- User informationInstructions/packaging must inform users about separate collection and the crossed-out bin symbol.source
- Treatment information for recyclersFree of charge, identifying components, materials and the location of dangerous substances (Article 15).source
Upcoming deadlines that affect this product
- 2027-01-20Machinery Regulation appliesRegulation (EU) 2023/1230 applies from 20 January 2027 (Article 54 as corrected by corrigendum), replacing the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. There is no transition period for products placed on the market from that date.source
- 2027-02-18Portable batteries must be removable and replaceable by end-usersArticle 11 of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 applies from 18 February 2027: products incorporating portable batteries must be designed so end-users can readily remove and replace the battery.source
- 2027-08-18Battery due diligence obligations apply (postponed)Chapter VIII (supply-chain due diligence for cobalt, lithium, natural graphite and nickel) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 was originally applicable from 18 August 2025 but was postponed by two years to 18 August 2027 by amending Regulation (EU) 2025/1561 ('stop-the-clock', adopted 18 July 2025).source
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