India is set to commit to a new round of smartphone manufacturing incentives following the expiry of its Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in March this year. The earlier programme, said to be worth some US$21 billion, is believed to have played a key role in expanding domestic production, while helping position India as one of the sector’s key manufacturing bases.

The European Union has adopted a new measure further tightening restrictions on mercury-added products, continuing its alignment with international commitments under the Minamata Convention on Mercury. The measure, set out in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/55, amends the existing framework established under Regulation (EU) 2017/852 and introduces additional categories of products that are now subject to manufacturing, import, and export prohibitions within the EU market.

On 13 March 2026, it was reported that the European Commission’s environmental “omnibus” simplification package, introduced in mid-December, is encountering significant resistance within the Council of the European Union, with Member States struggling to align on both the substance and structure of the proposal. Three months into discussions, little tangible progress has been made, and officials widely expect that negotiations will take considerable time before any common position is reached.

The European Union’s system for monitoring dangerous non-food products recorded a significant increase in safety alerts in 2025, reflecting both the scale of unsafe products reaching the market and the growing capacity of authorities to detect them. The European Commission announced on 5 March 2026 that, according to its latest annual report on the Safety Gate Rapid Alert System, national authorities notified 4,671 alerts during the year, the highest number since the system was established in 2003.

The European Commission is seeking feedback on draft guidance concerning the implementation of the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA – also known as Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 on horizontal cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements). The Commission invites interested parties to provide comments before the end-of-consultation deadline of 31 March 2026.

On 10 February 2026, Commission Implementing Regulation(EU) 2026/2 laying down rules as regards the details and format for the disclosure of information on discarded unsold consumer products was published in the EU Official Journal. The Regulation introduces new transparency obligations for economic operators that discard unsold consumer products in the EU market.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeking public input by 20 March on separate proposals to modify the tariff classification of certain automobile coolant heaters and prosthesis alignment systems.

In separate determinations issued on 13 February, the U.S. Department of Energy has decided that it is not necessary to update the current energy efficiency standards for metal halide lamp fixtures or small electric motors. Accordingly, the current standards will remain unchanged.

It has recently been reported, pursuant to new figures from Eurostat, that the European Union is falling further behind its electronic waste (e-waste) collection targets. This is turn has raised concerns about resource waste, environmental damage, and the sustainability of Europe’s digital economy.

Cleaning, cooking and tidying-up could be things of the past should an army of in-home robo-helpers enjoy widespread consumer uptake.