What’s Trending in Compliance? August 2026

Authors

Ani Nozadze

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This blog was originally posted on 25th August, 2026. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

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We help ensure global companies have the tools and information to build safe, sustainable products in a world full of change.

Below we break down some of the top compliance trends in August 2026 that are generating the most interest globally this month.

1. EU: Digital Batteries Passport Data Points, Guidance Document, August 2026

Published on 15 August 2026, this guidance from the EU Commission aims to assist economic operators and other stakeholders in preparing the implementation of the data requirements for the digital Batteries Passport. It details data points that need to be provided for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, light means of transport (LMT) batteries and industrial batteries, and identifies where information is mandatory, optional, applicable only in certain cases, or does not have to be filled/displayed as of February 2027.

The purpose of the guidance document is to support a common understanding of the information to be made available in the Batteries Passport and to promote a consistent and workable approach across the batteries value chain. This is to be done by clarifying, to the extent possible, how the different data requirements can be understood in practice.

By presenting the relevant data points in a structured and accessible manner, this guidance seeks to assist stakeholders in identifying the information that may need to be collected, assessed and made available, thereby supporting early alignment of internal processes, data systems and reporting practices.

The document may be further developed over time to provide additional details and practical clarification. Future updates may include further information on the definitions of the individual data points, as well as indications on possible measuring units or formats to be used when reporting those data points, with a view to supporting greater clarity, comparability and consistency in the information made available through the Batteries Passport.

2. California (USA): Proposition 65: Omnibus 2026 Pre-Rulemaking, Notice, 2026

California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) is considering a series of potential amendments to the Proposition 65 regulations as part of its Omnibus 2026 pre-rulemaking initiative.

OEHHA has released draft regulatory language covering eight topics and held a public workshop to discuss the proposed changes and obtain stakeholder feedback.

The initiative remains at the pre-rulemaking stage; this means that the draft amendments are not yet proposed, nor are they final regulations.

OEHHA – Proposition 65: Pre-rulemaking Workshop: Topics of Proposed Regulatory Changes in Omnibus 2026

Topic 1. Providing flexibility for manufacturers of parts for off-road vehicles, construction equipment, mining equipment, agriculture equipment, non-road, off-road equipment, and forestry equipment. New Sections – 25607.54 and .55.
Topic 2. Technical fix aligning “short-form” warning chemical descriptor with full-length warning – chemicals “including.” Sections 25603(b) short-form, and 25607.2(b) food short-form.
Topic 3. Streamlining the technical voting requirements for committees. For committee actions, for an affirmative vote, change from appointed members to members present. Section 25302(f).
Topic 4. Clarifying when a chemical is naturally occurring in a product such that a warning is not required. Section 25501(a)(3).
Topic 5. Clarifying when warnings are required for internet purchases. Sections 25600.2(b) and 25602(b).
Topic 6. Simplifying language regarding retailers’ responsibility to give manufacturer warnings to the public. Section 25600.2(e).
Topic 7. Adding QR codes as a warning method. Sections 25601(c) and 25602(a)(2).
Topic 8. Rule 100 – Regulation text changes to update citation references and make technical changes. Sections 25205(e), 25302(a) and (d), 25502(b), 256049(a), 25607.32(d), 25607.35(a)(2), 25607.41(a)(3), and Appendix A.

Public comments may be submitted until 8 September 2026.

3. EU: Batteries and Waste Batteries, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 – Amendment – (on exceptions for the removability and replaceability of portable batteries) Regulation, 2026

On 14 July 2026, the European Commission adopted an amendment to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries to clarify and expand exemptions for the removability and replaceability of portable batteries.

Under the current regulations, all portable batteries must be removable and replaceable by users at any point in order to increase battery waste collection and decrease premature obsolescence of products. The Commission acknowledges that for certain products, it is safer, easier, or otherwise justifiable to have batteries only be replaced by professionals, not users.

This regulation establishes a list of products to be exempt from the removability requirement, and the reasons that professionals are better suited than users to replace the batteries. The covered products include:

Wearable devices designed to be regularly subjected to conditions with water and which, due to their nature size or form, are considered to be too small to allow the end-user to properly and safely handle a battery replacement, or which rely on a compact, sealed enclosure to maintain functional integrity, including protection against dust and shock.
Medical imaging, radiotherapy, and in-vitro diagnostic devices;
Electric toys that incorporate rechargeable batteries when due to the nature or size of the toy, the derogation is necessary to ensure safety (until 31 July 2030);
Wireless thermometers for food preparation;
Products designed to be operated in explosive environments;
On-body medical devices that deliver medication subcutaneously;
Roof-mounted telematics devices for agricultural or construction machinery, designed to be exposed to harsh vibrations, dust and wet conditions during their intended use.

The regulation enters into force twenty days after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

4. Sweden: National Ban on PFAS in Certain Consumer Products, Consultation Document, July 2026

On 23 July 2026, the Swedish Government published a memorandum proposing a national ban on PFAS in certain consumer products. The memorandum marks the start of the Swedish legislative process and has been circulated for consultation (remiss) to designated stakeholders, including government agencies, municipalities, industry associations, and research institutes, as well as being open to comments from the general public. Responses must be submitted to the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise by 30 November 2026.

The memorandum proposes introducing a national ban on PFAS in selected consumer products, including clothing and footwear, waterproofing treatments for clothing and footwear, cosmetic products, kitchenware, and ski wax. Under the proposal, these products may not be made available to consumers on the Swedish market if they contain PFAS above specified threshold values. The national ban would not apply where equivalent restrictions are already in force under EU legislation. A number of exemptions are proposed, including for second-hand products and clothing containing recycled materials.

At EU level, a proposal for a comprehensive restriction on PFAS under the REACH Regulation is currently under consideration. However, binding EU legislation is not expected for some time. The proposed national ban would enable Sweden to take action ahead of the EU by regulating PFAS as a group while remaining closely aligned with the proposed EU restriction. In particular, the memorandum proposes adopting the same concentration limits as those currently being considered at EU level. The national rules are intended to be temporary and would cease to apply once corresponding EU legislation enters into force.

Following the consultation process, the Government will consider the responses before deciding whether to submit a legislative proposal. If adopted, the proposed amendments to the relevant ordinance are intended to enter into force on 1 January 2028.

5. California (USA): Covered Battery-Embedded Products (CBEP), List, Revised August 2026

CalRecycle compiled this list of products from notices sent to CalRecycle by manufacturers pursuant to Public Resources Code (PRC) section 42466.2. This list is periodically updated and the latest updated version was published on 7 August 2026.

As the document states, this information was provided by manufacturers and by posting this list of products, CalRecycle does not endorse the accuracy of the list or confirm that these products are covered battery-embedded products (CBEPs) as defined in PRC section 42463(f). Also, this list may erroneously include devices that are not CBEPs such as products that are video display devices (as defined by PRC section 42463(g)(1)(A)), products that are a loose battery (as defined at PRC section 42420.1(d)), or products that are not considered covered electronic devices.

The list is not a complete list of all CBEPs, since it is based on the notices that manufacturers provided to CalRecycle. The absence of a CBEP from this list does not relieve a manufacturer’s responsibility pursuant to PRC section 42466.2, or a retailer’s obligation to collect the covered battery-embedded waste recycling fee on a CBEP from a consumer.