Legislative Changes 2026: What Online Retailers Need to Know Now

The year 2026 brings a wave of new regulations for e-commerce. Since January, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) for importers of emission-intensive goods and the revised Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act with stricter take-back and labeling obligations have already come into force. But that was only the beginning—the most important deadlines are yet to come.

June 2026: Withdrawal Button Becomes Mandatory

From June 19, 2026, online shops must integrate a mandatory withdrawal button. The button must be permanently visible, easy to read, and clearly labeled, e.g., “Withdraw from contract.” The goal is to make withdrawal just as simple as making a purchase.

The technical implementation is challenging: for guest checkouts without a customer account, it is difficult to verify who is actually submitting the withdrawal. A new withdrawal policy will also be required.

What to do: Contact your shop system or plugin provider, set a timeline for technical implementation, and update your withdrawal policy in time.

July 2026: Right to Repair

From July 31, 2026, the EU right to repair will apply. Retailers must offer repair as the standard primary solution if it is more cost-effective than replacement. This mainly affects durable product categories such as smartphones, tablets, washing machines, and refrigerators

Repair obligations may also exist beyond the two-year statutory warranty period. At the same time, new market opportunities arise: refurbished products and repair services are gaining importance.

What to do: Review warranty processes, identify affected product categories, and, if necessary, establish partnerships with repair service providers.

August 2026: EU Packaging Regulation and AI Act

The new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) will apply from August 12, 2026. All retailers shipping packaged goods to end consumers abroad must register in the respective destination countries. In each country, an authorized representative must be appointed via written authorization. In addition, there is an obligation to verify suppliers’ registration and labeling.

From August, the EU AI Act will also become increasingly relevant for many businesses. Online retailers and platform operators using AI for product recommendations, chatbots, pricing, or credit scoring must assess whether their systems qualify as “high-risk AI,” which would trigger transparency, auditing, and documentation requirements. Violations may result in fines of up to €35 million.

What to do: Identify foreign markets, initiate registrations in destination countries, and assess the risk classification of any AI tools in use.

September 2026: The New Warranty and Guarantee Label

The most underestimated deadline of the year falls on September 27, 2026: From this date, the new EU warranty label and guarantee label become mandatory—for all retailers selling goods to consumers

What exactly is the new label?

The warranty label provides a clear overview of statutory warranty rights. The voluntary guarantee label additionally informs consumers about any durability guarantees. The aim is to standardize consumer information across Europe and promote sustainable purchasing decisions.

Who is affected?

Practically everyone: all businesses selling goods to consumers are subject to this obligation. Manufacturers offering a durability guarantee, as well as retailers advertising such guarantees, must use the guarantee label. Online marketplaces listing such products must ensure that the labels are correctly displayed. Not only online shops but also brick-and-mortar retailers are affected.

Why is this so relevant?

The labeling becomes a mandatory part of consumer information. Online retailers must ensure that the required information is clearly visible on product pages—otherwise, they risk receiving warnings for violating information obligations.

The tricky part: this is not an optional notice that can be hidden in the terms and conditions. It must be actively and visibly displayed on the product page—before purchase.

What to do: Systematically review all product pages, integrate the warranty label, and correctly display the guarantee label for products with manufacturer guarantees. Sellers on marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay should also check platform-level obligations.

The Rest of the Year at a Glance

Legislative changes continue beyond September. From September 27, stricter rules on green claims and the Empowering Consumers Directive (EmpCo) will apply: environmental claims such as “climate-neutral” or “sustainable” will only be permitted with verifiable evidence, and unverified sustainability labels will be prohibited. From November 20 on, Buy Now, Pay Later services will fall under the Consumer Credit Directive, requiring creditworthiness checks—even for interest-free deferred payments. Finally, on December 9, the new Product Liability Directive comes into force, making manufacturers—and in some cases retailers—liable without proof of fault.

Conclusion

2026 is not a year to wait and see. The warranty label in September alone will directly affect virtually every retailer at the product page level—and experience shows it will quickly become a frequent source of legal warnings. Those who establish a clear timeline now and systematically work through the key deadlines will protect themselves from costly surprises—and can focus on what really matters: their business.