European Union: European Commission published the Single Market Strategy including design requirement

On 21 May 2025, the European Commission published a communication setting out a Single Market Strategy aimed at simplifying regulatory obligations and improving cross-border trade and competitiveness within the EU. The strategy highlights forthcoming proposals to introduce digital product passports and expand digital permitting procedures. These include provisions to digitise declarations of conformity and instructions for use, and to implement digital-first approaches to product certification, authorisation, and regulatory submissions. The strategy also signals reforms to align the EU product legislation with the needs of a digital regulatory environment, including the planned use of digital data containers across product categories.