As of 25 August, large search engines and online platforms designated by the European Commission will have to begin to comply with one of the EU’s major laws to bring about a safer and more accountable online environment.

The European Commission today proposed to phase out hormone-disrupting chemicals from toys. If this becomes law, it would be the first time ever – worldwide – that both known and suspected hormone-disrupting chemicals are banned from an entire product group.

The European Parliament’s Industry Committee (ITRE) in the lead for the Cyber Resilience Act, a proposal to set minimum cybersecurity requirements for connected products, has, through today’s vote, tightened some obligations for manufacturers, but ultimately failed to tackle all its major blind spots.

Today, the European Parliament voted to make sustainable products the norm on the EU market, banning early obsolescence and destruction of unsold textiles and electronics. The Parliament adopted its position on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). This ambitious position strengthens the Commission’s proposal but lacks strong measures to hold online marketplaces accountable.