Supply chain regulation in plain language.
What applies, from when, for whom — without fear-selling. We maintain these pages editorially; the review date is shown on every page.
Regulation radar
All deadlines and thresholds, checked against primary sources. After the EU Omnibus package, the CSDDD only affects large corporations. What actually hits the mid-market is in the first rows.
| Regulation | Status | Relevant for |
|---|---|---|
| EUDR | applies from 30 Dec 2026; micro and small companies from 30 Jun 2027 (amendment end of 2025) | cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soy, wood and defined derived products |
| PPWR | applies since 12 Aug 2026; further obligations phased in through 2040 (recycled-content quotas and format bans from 2030, PFAS limits for food contact already active) | everyone placing packaging on the market — including B2B and transport packaging |
| CBAM | definitive phase since 1 Jan 2026; exemption below 50 t/year; certificate purchases from 1 Feb 2027; first annual declaration by 30 Sep 2027 | importers of iron/steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, electricity, hydrogen |
| Battery Regulation | in application since 18 Aug 2024; battery passport from 18 Feb 2027; supply chain due diligence from 18 Aug 2027 | manufacturers and importers of batteries — plus the cascade down to suppliers |
| Forced Labour Regulation (EUFLR) | ban applies from 14 Dec 2027 — no size threshold, all economic operators | every company placing products on the EU market or exporting them |
| CSDDD | amended by Omnibus (Directive (EU) 2026/470); obligations from 26 Jul 2029, only ≥ 5,000 employees and ≥ €1.5bn turnover | large corporations — mid-market indirectly via customer requirements |
| CSRD + ESRS 2.0 | thresholds now > 1,000 employees and €450m turnover; simplified ESRS adopted by the Commission on 3 Jul 2026 (Official Journal pending), applying from FY 2027 (FY 2026 voluntary) | large companies |
| VS (voluntary standard, replaces the VSME) | adopted by the Commission on 3 Jul 2026 (Official Journal pending); includes the Value Chain Cap: a legal ceiling on what CSRD reporters may demand from suppliers with ≤ 1,000 employees from FY 2027 | mid-sized suppliers in corporate supply chains — your answer standard and your legal limit |
| LkSG (German Supply Chain Act) | due-diligence duties remain (≥ 1,000 employees in Germany); reporting duty to be scrapped retroactively (bill, first Bundestag reading 14 Jan 2026), BAFA has stopped reviewing reports since 1 Oct 2025 and enforces only severe violations; to be replaced by the CSDDD transposition act by 26 Jul 2028 | companies with 1,000+ employees in Germany |
The regulations in detail
Every page follows the same structure: what it is, who is affected (and who is not), what applies from when, which obligations arise, common misconceptions, how we help.
EUDR
Last reviewed:EUDR: Who is affected and what applies from 30 December 2026
Applies from 30 December 2026 to seven commodities and their derived products — including traders who only buy within the EU.
Read more →Battery Regulation
Last reviewed:Battery Regulation: battery passport from 18 February 2027, due diligence from 18 August 2027
Battery passport from 18 February 2027, due diligence from 18 August 2027. If you only install batteries, you still get the data requests — the cascade arrives before the obligation.
Read more →CBAM
Last reviewed:CBAM: the 50-tonne threshold, certificates from 2027 and what importers do now
In the definitive phase since 1 January 2026. Below 50 t of annual imports you are exempt; above, certificates are due from 2027 — and default values are deliberately expensive.
Read more →CSRD & CSDDD
Last reviewed:CSDDD & CSRD after the Omnibus: what really applies in 2026
Since the Omnibus, the CSDDD only applies to corporations with 5,000+ employees — obligations from 26 July 2029. The mid-market is affected when customers pass it down.
Read more →Forced Labour Regulation (EUFLR)
Last reviewed:EU Forced Labour Regulation: what is banned from 14 December 2027
From 14 December 2027, products made with forced labour may neither be sold nor exported — no size threshold, every company.
Read more →PPWR
Last reviewed:PPWR: what the EU Packaging Regulation has required since 12 August 2026
Applies since 12 August 2026 to every piece of packaging you place on the market — transport cartons and pallets included. The big quotas arrive in 2030.
Read more →VS / Value Chain Cap
Last reviewed:VS instead of VSME: the voluntary standard and the Value Chain Cap
The VS is your answer standard for customer requests — and the Value Chain Cap your right to decline excessive questionnaires.
Read more →LkSG (German Supply Chain Act)
Last reviewed:German Supply Chain Act (LkSG) 2026: what applies in the interim until the CSDDD arrives
Still applies, in reduced form: due diligence from 1,000 employees remains, BAFA no longer reviews reports — and your corporate customers keep asking.
Read more →Your customer passing obligations down to you? That is exactly what we are here for.
Most requests reaching mid-sized companies come from corporate customers, not authorities. We tell you which of them are justified — and answer them with you.
Which obligations really affect your supply chain?
In 15 minutes we work out together what applies to you and what does not. Directly with an expert, not with sales.