Export rules for the EU by product

What to check before you export to the EU, by product. Every line has its official source and check date. Covers Cosmetics, Instant noodles & pasta, Toys, Phones & telecom equipment, Wooden tableware, Medical devices.

Official sources checked between 2026-10-13 and 2026-11-04

This is not legal or tax advice. Rules and rates change, so confirm with the official source and a local authority, your importer or an expert before you sell.

• Cosmetics: EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009: before sale, an EU Responsible Person (who keeps the product information file), a CPNP notification and a safety report (CPSR)
• Instant noodles & pasta: EU labelling (Reg
• Toys: Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC: before a toy is placed on the market, the manufacturer has the conformity assessment done (usually EN 71 tests), keeps the technical documentation, draws up the EC declaration of conformity and affixes the CE mark
• Phones & telecom equipment: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cellular products are radio equipment in the EU: the CE marking rests on the Radio Equipment Directive (radio, safety and EMC tests) instead of the low-voltage rules, internet-connected devices must meet the cybersecurity requirements (from 1 Aug 2025), and phones, earbuds, headphones, speakers, keyboards, mice and similar devices need a USB-C port for wired charging (laptops from 28 Apr 2026)
• Wooden tableware: Food-contact materials Reg
• Medical devices: Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745: CE marking (a notified body for Class IIa and up, and for the sterile, measuring or reuse aspects of Class I devices that are sterile, have a measuring function or are reusable surgical instruments), an EU authorised representative, UDI and EUDAMED registration
• EU ban on vague green claims: From 27 Sep 2026 the EU bans generic claims such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’ or ‘biodegradable’ unless backed by recognised excellent environmental performance, ‘carbon neutral’ claims based on offsets, claims about the whole product that cover one aspect, and sustainability labels not based on a certification scheme or public authority. Check packaging, product pages and ads before launch. Applies from 2026-09-27 · Done with your importer · eur-lex.europa.eu, checked 2026-10-13
• Austria: sales emails to companies need prior consent: In Austria an email sent for direct marketing is unlawful without the recipient’s prior consent, whether the recipient is a consumer or a business, and an unsubscribe link does not replace consent; a breach is an administrative offence fined up to €50,000. Email only buyers who asked for your offer or agreed to receive it, for example at a trade fair, and keep a record of each consent. The only exception is your own customers: offers for your own similar products at contact details you received when selling to them, a free way to refuse when you took the address and in every email, and no entry on the opt-out list under the E-Commerce Act (ECG list). Your company does it · ris.bka.gv.at, checked 2026-11-01
• Germany: sales emails to companies need prior consent: In Germany an advertising email, including a first offer to an importer or distributor, is unlawful without the recipient’s prior express consent, also at a company address: the Federal Court of Justice has held that even one such email to a business can be unlawful, and competitors, trade associations and the business you emailed can sue to stop it. Email only buyers who asked for your offer or agreed to receive it, for example at a trade fair, and keep a record of each consent. The only exception is your own customers: offers for similar goods at the address they gave you when buying, unless they objected, with an opt-out notice when you took the address and in every email. Your company does it · gesetze-im-internet.de, checked 2026-11-01
• Spain: sales emails to companies need prior consent: In Spain advertising email that the recipient did not request or expressly authorise beforehand is banned (LSSI article 21), and the law protects any recipient, person or company, whether or not they act for professional purposes. Email only buyers who asked for your offer or agreed to receive it, for example at a trade fair, and keep a record of each consent. The only exception is a prior contract: your own products similar to what the customer bought, with contact details obtained lawfully and a simple, free way to opt out in every email. The data protection agency (AEPD) fines up to €30,000, or up to €150,000 for mass or repeated sending. Your company does it · boe.es, checked 2026-11-01
• France: French in ads, labels and instructions (Loi Toubon): France’s Loi Toubon (Law 94-665, article 2) makes French compulsory in the name, offer, presentation, instructions and warranty terms of goods sold in France, imported goods and online offers included, and in every written, spoken or audiovisual ad; the DGCCRF enforces it and customs check labels at import. Other languages may sit next to the French but not replace it, and registered trademarks are exempt. Give every video caption and voice-over, on-pack text, insert and product page a French version before launch instead of running an English-only global cut. Done with your importer · culture.gouv.fr, checked 2026-11-04
• Italy: sales emails to companies need prior consent: In Italy promotional email needs the recipient’s prior consent (article 130 of the privacy code), and the data protection authority (Garante) applies this to companies too, including company addresses taken from public sources; a legitimate interest is no substitute. Email only buyers who asked for your offer or agreed to receive it, for example at a trade fair, and keep a record of each consent. The only exception is your own customers: offers for products similar to what they bought, at the email address they gave you in that sale, if they were told they can object and did not. Your company does it · garanteprivacy.it, checked 2026-11-01
• Poland: sales emails to companies need prior consent: Poland’s Electronic Communications Law (article 398) bans sending commercial information, including direct marketing, by email or other electronic means to a subscriber or end user who has not agreed to it first, and the act defines a user as any entity, so company addresses are covered. Consent can be given by sharing an address for the purpose of receiving offers. Email only buyers who asked for your offer or agreed to receive it, for example at a trade fair, and keep a record of each consent: in the regulator’s decisions the sending company had to prove it, and the regulator (UKE) can fine up to 3% of the previous year’s revenue, or PLN 1 million if that is higher. Your company does it · isap.sejm.gov.pl, checked 2026-11-01

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