Sofeast’s supply chain management team work with you to understand your product, its compliance risks, and assure that you follow the necessary actions to comply with the regulation and support you to build a more sustainable supply chain and products. We typically do the following:

• Initial desk analysis – research what products will be considered most risky and are most likely to be examined by market surveillance authorities and customs; what information is already available on all the topics covered by the regulation; what the major gaps are.
• On-site information gathering – at the key manufacturing facilities to assess who is in the supply chain and how sustainable they are. We will investigate, among others, what stages and steps go into making your products, where they’re truly made, whether sustainable and/or recyclable materials are used as claimed by suppliers, and whether manufacturing processes can be greener.
• Development of risk analysis and mitigation plans – based on your business and product, our experts create the plans to uncover your unique sustainability and compliance risks and how to reduce them. We will focus on the highest sources of risk. We will suggest an action plan that can be started quickly.
• Advice and support on the implementation of the plans – you’re not left alone to cope. Our team supports you to implement the risk mitigation plan/s and is on hand to answer questions and provide follow-up advice based on results throughout the process.

Some of these requirements may come into play sooner, but most products will have to comply by May 21st 2024.

It means now is the time to re-evaluate your product and supply chain-related risks, do a gap analysis, and have a plan. We have heard of some large retailers who started to require their direct suppliers to present a compliance plan!

Besides, the current EU commissioners are not known for their leniency. The EU Medical Device Regulation went into effect, despite the strong requests of most notified bodies who complained they, and most of their clients were not ready.

The Commission clearly states that “the enforcement of current Ecodesign rules is insufficient and uneven”, and they have been working on a scheme that will make the customs’ and market surveillance authorities’ jobs much easier. The products’ information will have to be marked on the products themselves (typically with a QR code), and the product information will be visible in a central registry — that will allow for a risk analysis that will orient what to control!

Product sustainability may also be connected to business tax (for instance, to discourage the disposal of unsold goods), so not taking steps to comply may be costly in the long term.

Your dedicated project manager will act as the go-between for you and our compliance and supply chain management specialists. All dialogue and written materials are in English and the reports and plans provided are yours to keep.