06/29/2026 Saarbrücken-based compliance software expert joins Banyan's permanent home for vertical market software Banyan Software, an acquirer and long-term operator of successful software businesses, is excited to announce the acquisition of tec4U-Solutions, a provider of material compliance software and data services for manufacturers, retailers and product importers. Founded in 2013 in Saarbrücken, tec4U-Solutions has spent more than a decade building one of the most trusted compliance platforms for product data communication and management, DataCross. This high performance data exchange platform helps enterprises meet worldwide ESG and material compliance regulations such as REACH, PFAS, Conflict Minerals, PPWR, EUDR, Eco design, [...]

The DPP is intended to create transparency across the entire product lifecycle—from material composition and carbon footprint to repair and recycling information. Regulatory Status The legal basis for the DPP is found in the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation), which entered into force in July 2024. As a framework regulation, it will be supplemented in the future by product-specific delegated acts for various product groups (textiles, iron and steel, aluminum, tires, furniture, etc.). In addition, further horizontal requirements, such as the technical representation of the DPP, are established: In addition to the ESPR, there are other EU [...]

In early May, the European Commission published the revised version of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The new regulations provide significant relief for many companies and create greater clarity regarding the implementation of the requirements. Particularly positive is the distinction between first-time placers on the market and downstream operators. Downstream operators will no longer be required to prepare their own due diligence statement. Instead, it will suffice to obtain the reference number of their supplier’s due diligence statement and document it accordingly. For first-time placers on the market, however, the requirements remain unchanged. They must continue to fulfill all [...]

1. REACH: Proposal to Restrict PFAS In recent months, the process for the planned EU-wide restriction of PFAS (“forever chemicals”) has taken further shape. On March 3, the RAC (Committee for Risk Assessment) completed its evaluation of the general proposal to restrict PFAS. The report confirms that a comprehensive re-striction of PFAS is generally considered an appropriate means of reducing environ-mental and health risks. The draft opinion on the PFAS restriction proposal published by the SEAC (Socio-Economic Analysis Committee) on March 26 generally supports a comprehensive PFAS restriction, while acknowledging the need for targeted exemp-tions to ensure the measures [...]

In the market, differing terminology surrounding the so-called product passport and its various forms is causing significant confusion among industry and retailers. The term has been used for years in the contexts of sustainability and the circular economy, but it is not uniformly defined by law. Rather, it describes the concept of providing information in a structured manner throughout a product’s lifecycle. The following article explains what content and requirements lie behind each term and how the “product passport” requirement can be optimally implemented using digital solutions. Definition: Product passport, Digital Product Passport (DPP), and material passport are [...]

With DataCross, tec4U-Solutions GmbH provides a software platform that holistically maps product- and company-related sustainability requirements in a digital format. Complex requirements such as REACH, RoHS, PFAS, TSCA, EUDR, CO2 emissions calculations, or supply chain due diligence obligations can thus be implemented for the first time in a flexible, legally compliant, and cost-effective manner. The EU is currently making many sustainability obligations less binding as part of so-called omnibus initiatives. Nevertheless, compliance with material-related requirements—particularly regarding the marketing of products and resource availability—remains essential for companies to further stay competitive in the market. The DataCross compliance platform takes these [...]

With the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR*), the transition from a directive to be transposed into national law to directly applicable EU law will take effect in August 2026. This will establish technical requirements for packaging that are binding and harmonized across the EU for the first time. For manufacturers, packaging developers, and distributors, this means far-reaching changes throughout the entire product lifecycle. The previous Packaging Directive (94/62/EC) defined targets but left considerable leeway for national implementation. The new Packaging Regulation now contains detailed technical specifications, including on: • Packaging design • Material composition • Recyclability • [...]

With the entry into force of the local standard “Water Pollutant Discharge Standard for Chemical Industrial Parks in Sichuan Province (DB51/3202—2024)” on July 1, 2025, specific discharge limits for the PFAS compounds perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were established for the first time in the Chinese province of Sichuan. This regulation thus represents significant progress in the regulation of so-called “new pollutants.” The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is an international treaty that has aimed since 2004 to protect people and the environment from long-lived, bioaccumulative chemicals. The People’s Republic of China is a [...]

The European Union has expanded Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation to include new restrictions on formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing substances. The regulation takes effect on August 12, 2026, and applies to articles from which formaldehyde may be released. The focus is on further reducing emissions and providing increased protection for consumers and workers. In the future, binding limits will apply to formaldehyde emissions, particularly for products intended for indoor use. The limits are set as follows: • 0.062 mg/m³ for furniture and wood-based products • 0.080 mg/m³ for other products In addition, a specific requirement for road vehicles has [...]

Politics and business are calling for products to be recyclable and for recycled materials to be used in the manufacture of new products. However, all these approaches are only possible if the relevant material data for the products is available so that they can be recycled in a technically sensible and economically viable manner and made available for the manufacture of new products. Within a wide variety of European and national legislations, the use of recycled materials in new products is either mandatory or indirectly required through documentation requirements. The first set of legal regulations to formulate this requirement is [...]