What’s Trending in Compliance? April 2026
This blog was originally posted on 27th April, 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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Below we break down some of the top compliance trends in April 2026 that are generating the most interest globally this month.
1. EU: Guidance Document for Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on Packaging and Packaging Waste, and Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation FAQ Document, March 2026
On 30 March, the EU Commission published two highly anticipated documents:
- Guidelines on the implementation of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
- Frequently Asked Questions regarding the PPWR
The guidelines aim to clarify rules where the PPWR needs further interpretation as well as some issues for which stakeholders have requested assistance. The guidance document includes clarifications on when a company is considered manufacturer or producer, which items are considered packaging under PPWR, enforcement of PFAS restriction in food contact packaging, re-use targets, extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, etc.
The FAQ document accompanies the guidelines and addresses practical issues that were raised by stakeholders.
The Commission has also stated in an accompanying press release that several implementing acts under the PPWR are being prepared, for example, on harmonised registration and reporting formats for the extended producer responsibility, labelling for waste sorting by consumers, recycled content in plastic packaging, and recyclability criteria.
2. UK: Regulations on Ecodesign of Energy Consuming Products, Revised Guidance Document, April 2026
On 8 April 2026, the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy updated a Guidance Document on the Regulations on Ecodesign of Energy Consuming Products. The Guidance is aimed at manufacturers, their authorised representatives, and importers.
The guidelines provide a list of covered energy-related products, define the extent of obligation (who is responsible for compliance), as well as how to comply.
Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is the designated Market Surveillance Authority for Ecodesign Regulations in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
3. USA: Consumer Product Recall Fraud, Request for Information, Notice, April 2026
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is seeking public input on the incidence and nature of “recall fraud” in consumer product recalls, such as fraudulent or abusive attempts to obtain refunds, replacements, or other remedies through false claims or misleading evidence.
Since recall fraud can raise administrative and compliance costs, distort redemption statistics, and make it harder to measure whether hazardous products are actually being removed from use, the CPSC wants input on tools and practices that would reduce fraud without discouraging legitimate consumers from participating.
The Commission is asking for information on four main areas:
- Observed fraud patterns
- The impact of fraud on recall effectiveness and costs
- Existing fraud-mitigation measures
- Possible Commission actions under its current authority
It invites supporting data, examples and analysis from manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, recall administrators, consumer advocates, and the public. Comments can be submitted by 15 June 2026.
4. EU: Methodology for Defining Data Requirements for the Digital Product Passport Under the ESPR Framework, Report, March 2026
Published in March 2026, this Report provides a practical, step-by-step methodology to define a proposal of what data should be included in Digital Product Passports (DPPs) under the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and why such data should be included.
The Report extends existing ESPR methodological work. It focuses on the semantic definition and prioritisation of DPP information requirements. It also investigates current industry data collection and data-sharing practices across product value chains.
The Report distinguishes essential, strongly recommended, and voluntary elements. Technical aspects of the DPP system are addressed only to a limited extent, while detailed system architecture and implementation are outside the Report’s scope.
The document is mainly designed to support ESPR delegated acts and impact assessments.
5. UK: Packaging Data: How to Create Your File for Extended Producer Responsibility, Guidance Document, March 2026
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) recently updated the guidance on creating the file for extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging.
The guide is for organisations that have to comply with EPR obligations for packaging, and the guidance itself provides a link to where organisations can check whether they are within the scope of this obligation or not.
The guidance is for organisations that need to collect and submit data about packaging they’ve supplied or imported through the UK market, as well as compliance schemes who report packaging data for their member organisations.
The document explains various types of data organisations need to submit about packaging they have supplied, how to structure the data submission file, and the codes that should be used in the data file.
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The top compliance trends in April 2026 is based on the most viewed regulations on C2P this month. If you would like to see C2P in action, book time with our team to witness the true power behind C2P.
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