What’s Trending In Compliance In March 2025

This blog was originally posted on 24th March, 2025. 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 2025 that are generating the most interest globally this month.

1. UK: Product Regulations and Current Approaches to Product Marking for the GB Market, Guidance Document, February 2025

On 3 February 2025, several UK Departments issued a Guidance Document on product regulations and current approaches to product marking for the GB market.

The purpose of this Guidance Document is to provide details on the current approaches to product marking for various product types, including:

• Batteries
• Construction products
• Energy-related products
• Electrical equipment
• Equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres
• Gas appliances
• Machinery
• Medical devices
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Pressure equipment
• Radio equipment
• Simple pressure vessels

2. EU: Omnibus Package, Q&A Document, February 2025

On 26 February 2025, the European Commission published a Q&A document on the draft Omnibus simplification package on sustainability reporting and due diligence. The package includes amendments to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the InvestEu Regulation. The package is accompanied by a draft Taxonomy Delegated Act for public consultation.

This Q&A document contains comprehensive answers to various questions, such as:

• Why is the omnibus legislation on sustainability rules proposed?
• What are the proposed changes?
• How will companies benefit from the proposal?
• What measures are being proposed to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit from these simplification efforts?
• What are the main changes in the CSRD, CSDDD, Taxonomy, CBAM, etc.

3. EU: Application of Packaging and Packing Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland, Commission Notice C/2025/946

The European Commission has issued Notice C/2025/946 in order to facilitate the application of Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (EU) 2025/40 in the UK in respect of Northern Ireland. 

Under the Windsor Framework, Regulation (EU) 2025/40 has now replaced Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC to apply in Northern Ireland. This notice clarifies that several provisions of the new regulation would not apply in Northern Ireland. These provisions are:

• Article 23 (on information obligations of packaging waste management operators)
• Articles 29-33 (on re-use targets, refill obligation and re-use offer obligation)
• Article 34 and Article 56(1)(b) (on plastic carrier bags) unless the UK in respect of Northern Ireland takes measures to achieve a sustained reduction in the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags in accordance with Article 34(1)
• Articles 41-55 (on waste management plans and waste prevention programs, waste prevention, register of producers, extended producer responsibility, return, collection, deposit and return systems, re-use and refill, recycling targets and promotion of recycling, information and reporting of prevention and management of waste, etc.)
• Paragraphs 1(a), 1(c) and 6 of Article 56 (on Member States reporting obligations)
• Articles 57 and 63 (on packaging databases and green public procurement) 

4. China: Indicative Lists of PFAS Chemicals, Public Consultation, February 2025

On 25 February 2025, the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE-FECO) commenced a consultation on the indicative lists of three groups of PFAS chemicals.

The initiative seeks to assist China in meeting its obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and is designed to gather information on the following:

• Long-chain PFCAs, their salts and related compounds
• PFOA, their salts and related compounds
• PFHxS, their salts and related compounds

The consultation is accompanied by three annexes containing the list of indicative substances.

Comments may be submitted until 19 May 2025.

5. Australia: Responsibilities of Importers under the Illegal Logging Laws, Guidance Document, February 2025

This guidance document provides details on the responsibilities of importers under the Australian Illegal Logging Laws, namely the Illegal Logging Prohibition Act 2012 (Act) and the Illegal Logging Prohibition Rules 2024 (Rules).

Under Australian law, illegal logging refers to the harvesting of timber in breach of the laws of the country where the timber is harvested. 

Importers of wood, pulp or paper products are responsible for:

• Not importing products that contain illegally logged timber
• Conducting due diligence prior to importing any regulated timber products by actively managing the risk that they could include illegally logged timber

The guidance document contains further information on the conduct of due diligence and the identification of regulated timber products. 

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The top compliance trends in March 2025 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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