What’s Trending In Compliance In March 2024

This blog was originally posted on 25th March, 2024. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

At Compliance & Risks we help manufacturers, retailers and their supply chain partners to monitor and manage global regulations via C2P, our compliance knowledge management platform.

We break down some of the top compliance trends in March 2024 that are generating the most interest globally this month.

1. EU: Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases, Regulation (EU) 2024/573

On 20 February 2024, the long-awaited replacement to the EU F-gases Regulation 517/2014 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The new Regulation (EU) 2024/573 aims to completely phase out, by 2050, fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) contained in a wide range of products used in everyday life. 

The Regulation imposes new conditions on specific uses of F-gases. It further introduces a full ban on the placing on the market for several categories of products and equipment containing HFCs or whose functioning relies upon those gases. These include certain domestic refrigerators, chillers, foams, air conditioning, heat pumps and switchgear. Specific dates are set for the complete phase-out of the use of F-gases in air conditioning, heat pumps and switchgears.

Regulation 2024/573 entered into force on 11 March 2024.

2. EU: Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, Regulation (EU) 2024/590

Published on 20 February 2024, the new Regulation (EU) 2024/590 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer repeals the Ozone Depleting Substances Regulation (EC) 1005/2009. The new Regulation prohibits almost all uses of ozone depleting substances (ODSs) with very limited exemptions. 

Furthermore, the Regulation extends the requirement to recover ODSs for reclamation, recycling or destruction which will cover building materials (insulation foams), refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment, equipment containing solvents or fire protection systems and fire extinguishers as well as other equipment, if it is technically and economically feasible. 

The Regulation entered into force on 11 March 2024. 

3. Egypt: Requiring Mandatory Compliance with Standard Specifications for Engineering and Chemical Products, Decision No. 502/2023

On 4 January 2024 Decision No. 502 of the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry was published in the Egyptian Gazette. The Decision stipulates that producers and importers of the products indicated are required to comply with the applicable Egyptian standard specifications. The listed standards relate to a variety of products, including but not limited to medical suction equipment, lead-acid starting batteries, electronic devices used in electronic smoking systems, air conditioners, lighting units, etc.

Producers and importers have a specified transition period of six months. However, a transition period of 12 months applies with regard to certain standards. 

The decision also removes the mandatory status of a number of Egyptian standards listed in the Decision. 

The decision entered into force on 5 January 2024.

4. Maine (USA): Reduction Of Toxics In Packaging, Rule, 06-096 CMR 80, February 2024

This Rule, as amended and in effect from 6 February 2024, applies to manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of packaging and components of packaging that are offered for sale or for promotional purposes in Maine.

Manufacturers, suppliers or distributors are prohibited from offering for sale or for promotional purposes a package or packaging component that includes inks, dyes, pigments, adhesives, stabilizers, or any other additives to which any lead, cadmium, mercury, or hexavalent chromium has been intentionally introduced during manufacturing or distribution. The incidental presence of these elements is excluded from the prohibition. It is important to note, however, that the sum of the concentration levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium that are incidentally present in any package or packaging component may not exceed 100 ppm by weight or 0.01%.

The prohibition also relates to the sale of those products that are packaged in packaging that is prohibited as stated above. 

Prohibition is introduced on the sale of food packages containing phthalates, however, it only applies to a manufacturer of a food or beverage product that is contained in a food package or to which a food package is applied if the manufacturer has total annual national sales of food and beverage products of $1,000,000,000 and more.

5. Illinois (USA): Lithium-Ion Battery Disposal, Senate Bill 3206, 2024

This bill, proposed on 6 February 2024, aims to amend the Consumer Electronics Recycling Act. 

It proposes a prohibition on disposing of a lithium-ion battery in a mixed recycling waste bin. The bill requires the adoption of rules requiring manufacturers of electric vehicles sold in Illinois, containing a lithium-ion battery, and manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries sold in Illinois to submit a battery recycling plan by 1 June 2025. The bill also proposes to prohibit, from 1 July 2025, the disposal of lithium-ion batteries in sanitary landfills.

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The top compliance trends in March 2024 is based on the most viewed regulations on C2P this month. If you would like to see C2P in action, join us for a bite-sized high-level demo to witness the true power behind C2P.

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