Compliance dates · 9 December 2026 · EU
Member States must transpose the revised Product Liability Directive by 9 December 2026
9 December 2026 is the deadline for Member States to transpose the revised Product Liability Directive. It applies to products placed on the market or put into service after that date.
The definition of "product" is what makes this one travel. Software, AI systems and digital manufacturing files come inside it, which puts strict liability in front of firms that never thought of themselves as manufacturers. The revised regime attaches to products placed on the market or put into service after the date, so the timing of a release decides which rules a product meets.
The supply chain, and now software firms
Manufacturers, importers, distributors and fulfilment providers, plus software firms newly exposed to strict liability. A software business with no physical product is inside the revised definition.
Working out what counts as your product
- List what you place on the market or put into service, including software, AI systems and digital manufacturing files.
- Mark which of those items go out after 9 December 2026, which is the group caught.
- Identify your role for each: manufacturer, importer, distributor or fulfilment provider.
- Follow the transposing law in the Member States you supply.
- Review insurance and contract terms against strict liability on software.
The Product Liability Directive system
Directive (EU) 2024/2853 has its own system in the register of 87.
Product Liability Directive £750
Strict liability for defective products, now covering software and AI.
Directive (EU) 2024/2853 · European Union
Verified 19 August 2026.