The 2025-2027 period is the most compliance-intensive stretch the electronics sector has faced in a decade. The RED cybersecurity requirements entered into force in August 2025. Multiple RoHS exemptions are expiring without renewal. The Cyber Resilience Act is on a fixed countdown to full applicability. South Korea has mandated USB-C. And Germany has introduced new WEEE labelling requirements that apply at manufacturer and distributor level.
What makes this period particularly demanding is that many of these deadlines affect the same product categories simultaneously - connected devices, IoT equipment, and products containing metal alloys face obligations across RED, RoHS, WEEE, and (by 2027) CRA within a compressed window. The enforcement calendar below, organised by jurisdiction and date, is the framework electronics compliance teams should be using to prioritise their 2026 action plans.
European Union
1 August 2025 - RED Cybersecurity Mandatory for All Radio Equipment
From 1 August 2025, all radio equipment newly placed on the EU market must comply with cybersecurity requirements under Articles 3.3(d), (e), and (f) of the Radio Equipment Directive (RED 2014/53/EU), activated by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30. The harmonised standards EN 18031-1, EN 18031-2, and EN 18031-3 were published in January 2025 via Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/138 and provide the conformity assessment pathway.
Affected product categories include IoT devices, wearables, connected toys, smart home equipment, baby monitors, and any device capable of internet connectivity. Products already on the EU market before 1 August 2025 may remain in service; all new stock requires cybersecurity conformity assessment. Article 3.3(d) covers network non-interference; 3.3(e) covers personal data protection; 3.3(f) covers protection against fraud. For products where Module A self-declaration is insufficient, Notified Body involvement is required. Manufacturers who completed CE marking before August 2025 must separately assess and update their Declaration of Conformity if their products continue to be placed on the market.
1 January 2026 - Germany: WEEE Takeback Collection Point Labelling Mandatory
Under the amended German WEEE Act (ElektroG), manufacturers and distributors obliged to take back waste electrical and electronic equipment must mark their designated collection points with the Annex 3a symbol by 1 January 2026. The symbol must be clearly visible at the point where consumers can return WEEE, with accompanying information on the return process.
This requirement applies to manufacturers registered under the German producer responsibility scheme for EEE. Distributors have a separate deadline (see below). Non-compliance with WEEE takeback obligations is enforceable by the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and relevant state authorities, with administrative fines applicable.
30 June 2026 - Germany: Distributors Must Display WEEE Symbol In-Store
By 30 June 2026, retailers and distributors selling EEE in Germany must display the Annex 3a WEEE symbol at physical store entrances and near EEE sales areas. Customers must be provided with information on the product return process at the point of sale. This applies to retailers operating above the relevant floor space thresholds as defined in the German WEEE Act.
Online retailers have equivalent obligations for their digital storefronts. The amendments align Germany's WEEE communication requirements with broader EU transparency goals for producer responsibility schemes and apply to the full distribution chain, not only the original manufacturer.
30 June 2026 - EU RoHS: Applications for Exemptions Expiring December 2027 Must Be Submitted
Under Article 5(5) of the RoHS Directive (2011/65/EU), applications for renewal of Annex III exemptions must be submitted no later than 18 months before the exemption's expiry date. For exemptions expiring on 31 December 2027, the submission deadline is 30 June 2026.
Manufacturers currently relying on Annex III exemptions with December 2027 expiry dates must assess whether to apply for renewal and prepare the technical and economic justification required by ECHA under the RoHS exemption methodology. Missing this deadline means no renewal application can be accepted - and the product becomes non-compliant at the exemption expiry date without any transition window.
11 December 2026 - RoHS Exemption 6(a) Expires: Lead in Steel
Exemption 6(a) - lead as an alloying element in steel for machining purposes and in galvanised steel - was not renewed by the European Commission. Under Delegated Directive (EU) 2025/2364, which entered into force on 11 December 2025, the exemption expires 12 months later - on 11 December 2026 - for EEE product categories 1-7 and 10. Note: 6(b)-I (recycled scrap aluminium) also expires 11 December 2026.
Manufacturers using lead-alloyed steel components in mainstream EEE categories must complete reformulation or sourcing changes before this date. Products placed on the EU market after 11 December 2026 that contain lead in steel beyond the 0.1% threshold and no longer qualify for a valid exemption will be non-compliant with RoHS. Supply chain screening and alternative material qualification should be well advanced by Q2 2026 at the latest.
Asia-Pacific
5 November 2026 - South Korea: USB Type-C Mandate for Consumer Devices
South Korea has mandated USB Type-C ports on new consumer devices from 5 November 2026, under MSIT Notice 2025-56. The mandate applies to smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers, and similar consumer electronics, modelled on EU Directive 2022/2380.
New devices placed on the Korean market after this date that do not use USB-C charging ports will not be legally marketable. Existing product lines with proprietary or legacy charging connectors must be redesigned or phased out before the mandate takes effect. Manufacturers exporting consumer electronics to Korea should confirm whether their current product roadmap meets the port requirements by the November 2026 effective date.
11 June 2027 - RoHS Exemption 6(b) Expires: Lead in Aluminium
Exemption 6(b) - lead as an alloying element in aluminium - was not renewed in its general form. Sub-exemption 6(b)-II (machining aluminium, EEE categories 1-7 and 10) expires 18 months after the 11 December 2025 entry into force of Delegated Directive (EU) 2025/2364, giving a final expiry of 11 June 2027.
Note that sub-exemption 6(b)-I (recycled scrap aluminium, same categories) expired earlier, on 11 December 2026. The combined effect of 6(a) and 6(b) non-renewals means manufacturers using lead-alloyed steel and aluminium components in mainstream EEE must complete both reformulation programmes within a tight 12-18 month window. Separate applications for 6(b) renewal remain possible but would require submission by 30 June 2026 for any new exemption covering post-2027 periods.
11 December 2027 - Cyber Resilience Act Fully Applicable
The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA, Regulation (EU) 2024/2847) becomes fully applicable on 11 December 2027, establishing horizontal cybersecurity requirements for all products with digital elements placed on the EU market. From this date, RED Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 - the basis for the current Article 3.3 cybersecurity requirements - is repealed.
The CRA introduces security requirements across the full product lifecycle, including vulnerability handling obligations, security updates for defined support periods, and mandatory incident reporting. It applies to a broader scope than RED Article 3.3 - covering all products with digital elements, not only radio equipment. Manufacturers need to understand which of their product lines will transition from the RED cybersecurity pathway to CRA requirements, and ensure their conformity assessment, technical documentation, and post-market processes are CRA-ready well before December 2027.
Planning Across the Calendar
The concentration of deadlines between August 2025 and December 2027 creates a compliance workload that cannot be managed reactively. RED cybersecurity has already entered into force; RoHS exemption non-renewals are on a fixed timeline; and the CRA requires system-level changes to product development, vulnerability management, and technical documentation processes that typically take 18-24 months to implement fully.
An effective 2026 electronics compliance programme will prioritise in sequence: validating RED cybersecurity conformity for all radio equipment currently on the EU market; auditing RoHS exemption reliance across the product portfolio and initiating reformulation for 6(a) and 6(b) materials; confirming WEEE registration status in all EU markets where product is sold; and beginning CRA gap assessment for products that will still be on market in December 2027. For manufacturers selling into Korea, the USB-C mandate requires hardware-level product decisions that should already be in the engineering roadmap.
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