Standards, Certification & Compliance Intelligence
The second half of 2026 is developing into a concentrated transition period for management systems, certification schemes and supply-chain compliance. Several changes are now moving from standards-development activity into practical implementation.
For certified organizations, the central issue is no longer simply awareness of new requirements. It is timing: knowing which changes already require action, which require preparation, and which remain drafts that should not yet be treated as certification requirements.
ISO 9001:2026 — publication is now close
The new edition of ISO 9001 has reached the final publication stage.
ISO lists Edition 6 at Stage 60.00 — International Standard under publication — with publication expected in September 2026. The FDIS voting process has been completed, and the new edition is expected to replace ISO 9001:2015 when formally published.
Organizations certified to ISO 9001:2015 will receive a transition period. The detailed certification transition arrangements will follow the publication of the final standard.
What this means for organizations
This is the appropriate point to begin transition readiness, but not to claim conformity with ISO 9001:2026 before the standard is formally published.
Organizations can already review:
- existing QMS architecture and process documentation;
- risk and opportunity management;
- leadership and quality-culture arrangements;
- internal audit competence;
- management review arrangements; and
- controlled procedures that may require revision once the final requirements are available.
The objective should be readiness for a controlled transition rather than premature redesign of an established management system.
ISO 45001 — revision remains at Draft International Standard stage
The first major revision of ISO 45001 since its publication in 2018 is progressing through the Draft International Standard stage.
National consultation periods are now reaching their conclusion — including the UK public-comment period, which closed on 9 August — while ISO continues to list the international project at DIS Stage 40.20.
This distinction matters.
ISO/DIS 45001 is an advanced draft, but it is not yet the new certification standard. ISO 45001:2018 remains the applicable published edition.
What this means for organizations
Certified organizations should monitor the revision and begin understanding its direction, particularly where emerging occupational-health and safety issues could affect their systems.
Formal changes to certified systems, audit criteria or declarations of conformity should wait for the International Standard and the applicable transition arrangements.
For now, the correct approach is monitor and prepare — not transition.
ISO 14001:2026 — the environmental transition has already started
ISO 14001:2026 was formally published on 15 April 2026 and replaced ISO 14001:2015 as the current International Standard.
Unlike ISO 9001 and ISO 45001, this is therefore no longer a standards-development issue. It is a live transition issue for organizations with certified environmental management systems.
The revised standard retains the established ISO 14001 framework but provides clearer treatment of environmental conditions and places stronger emphasis on areas including climate change, biodiversity, resource efficiency, leadership, governance and impacts across operations and value chains.
ISO indicates that certified organizations will need to transition within the timeframe established through their certification arrangements, typically around three years.
What this means for organizations
ISO 14001-certified organizations should now establish a structured transition programme rather than wait until their next recertification cycle approaches.
An effective first stage is a documented gap assessment covering the organization’s environmental context, risks and opportunities, environmental aspects, lifecycle perspective, supply and value chains, objectives, operational controls, competence and management review.
The exact certification timetable should be coordinated with the organization’s certification body.
FSSC 22000 Version 7 — the transition runway is defined
FSSC 22000 Version 7 was released on 1 May 2026.
The new scheme incorporates the revised ISO 22002-x prerequisite-programme architecture and introduces a number of additional developments, including revised auditor competence requirements, food-loss and waste considerations, sustainable packaging principles and explicit governance expectations where artificial intelligence is used within certification activities.
The formal transition timetable is now clear:
Audits against FSSC 22000 Version 6 may continue until 30 April 2027.
Upgrade audits to Version 7 are to be conducted between 1 May 2027 and 30 April 2028.
What this means for food-sector organizations
The formal upgrade window may still appear distant, but organizations should use 2026 to understand the revised PRP structure, identify competence and documentation implications and incorporate Version 7 into their audit and certification planning.
Organizations operating integrated ISO 22000/FSSC systems should particularly examine the relationship between ISO 22000:2018, ISO 22002-100:2025 and the applicable sector-specific ISO 22002 standards.
EUDR — December 2026 is becoming an operational deadline
The EU Deforestation Regulation is moving decisively from regulatory preparation toward implementation.
On 13 July, the European Commission introduced further changes to the product scope and adopted technical rules for the EUDR Information System. The package includes revised product coverage, simplified declarations for certain micro and small primary operators, updated API specifications and further digital-system support.
Under the current timetable, the Regulation applies from:
30 December 2026 for large and medium-sized operators and for micro and small operators already covered by the EU Timber Regulation;
30 June 2027 for other micro and small operators.
Wood and forest-product supply chains therefore have less than five months before the first major application date.
What this means for organizations
Companies potentially covered by EUDR should already be establishing:
- precise product and CN-code scope;
- their legal role as operator or trader;
- supplier information requirements;
- geolocation and production-origin data;
- due-diligence information flows;
- risk-assessment and mitigation processes; and
- responsibility for submission and retention of regulatory evidence.
Forest-certification and chain-of-custody systems such as PEFC can provide important traceability and evidence infrastructure, but certification should be integrated into — rather than confused with — the organization’s legal EUDR due-diligence obligations.
MOODY VIEW
A common pattern is becoming visible across the 2026 standards landscape.
ISO 9001 is approaching publication. ISO 45001 remains under development. ISO 14001 has already entered implementation. FSSC 22000 has a defined transition route. EUDR is moving toward a fixed regulatory application date.
Treating each of these developments as an isolated compliance exercise risks creating duplicated work and late transition pressure.
Organizations operating several management systems should instead use a coordinated change-control process: identify what is final, what is transitional and what remains provisional; assign responsibilities; assess common impacts; and incorporate the resulting changes into existing management-system governance.
The organizations best positioned for the coming transitions will not necessarily be those that change fastest.
They will be those that change at the correct time, against the correct requirements, with controlled evidence.
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