Current Status of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025
UK Regulatory Updates for July 2025: Overview of Current Regulations
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 has received Royal Assent on 21 July 2025, marking its passage into law in the UK [1][3]. This legislation establishes a new legal framework for product safety, aiming to address current and future regulatory challenges [5].
Key Measures
Broad Regulatory Powers
- The Act grants the Secretary of State broad powers to introduce new regulations through secondary legislation, allowing for targeted and adaptive responses to emerging technologies and safety challenges [1][3].
- It covers both physical products and intangible components, including software, which marks a significant expansion of the traditional product safety framework [3].
Obligations for Manufacturers and Supply Chain Actors
- The Act imposes obligations on various actors in the product supply chain, including manufacturers, importers, distributors, installers, certification bodies, and operators of online marketplaces [1].
- These obligations are expected to be detailed in future secondary legislation.
Cost Recovery Mechanisms
- There is no specific information available on cost recovery mechanisms within the Act itself. However, enabling legislation often allows for the development of such mechanisms through secondary legislation [1].
Enforcement
- Enforcement details are not explicitly outlined in the primary Act. Instead, they are expected to be addressed through secondary legislation, which will specify how the new powers are to be exercised [1].
- An accompanying Code of Conduct clarifies how these powers will be implemented [1].
Excluded Products
- The Act does not specify excluded products directly. However, it focuses on products that present risks or require accurate operation, such as those for weighing or measuring [1].
Alignment with EU Regulations
- The Act provides UK ministers with the power to unilaterally align with EU regulations related to the environmental impact of products, despite the UK's departure from the EU [5].
- This could help manage divergence between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, where EU rules continue to apply under the Northern Ireland Protocol [5].
Other notable developments include the drafting of regulations in England to ban wet wipes containing plastic, with exemptions for pharmacies, medical purposes, and suppliers to businesses and local authorities [2]. Additionally, the European Parliament's Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection has adopted a report proposing measures to address the rise in substandard goods entering the EU via e-commerce [4].
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 sets the stage for future regulations that will significantly impact businesses, particularly those in tech and digital sectors, by providing a flexible framework for product safety and metrology regulation. Further details on the specific obligations of manufacturers and supply chain actors, cost recovery mechanisms, and enforcement will be outlined in forthcoming secondary legislation.
- In the context of the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025, the new legal framework extends to intangible components such as software, creating implications for the intellectual property rights and finance management of tech and digital industries.
- As the Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 grants the Secretary of State broad powers over product safety, the legislation may influence the regulatory environment and financial landscape of industries involved in the production, distribution, and sale of both physical and intangible products.
