New development
Welding fumes are explicitly included in the hazardous occupational exposure regime.
EU / Bulgaria · OHS, welding and risk assessment · adopted directive
Directive (EU) 2026/2450, published on 30 October, explicitly includes in Annex I to Directive 2004/37/EC activities involving exposure to welding fumes containing substances or mixtures classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction category 1A or 1B. This concerns enterprises with welding processes, occupational health services and teams for measuring the working environment. The directive enters into force on 19 November 2026 and the deadline for national transposition is 20 November 2028. Employers should review the composition of the fumes, risk assessments and evidence for exposure control. The publication does not mean an immediate replacement of the Bulgarian limit values.
New European limits for cobalt exposure
EU / Bulgaria · industry and measurement of the working environment · adopted directive
Directive (EU) 2026/2450, published on 30 October, sets eight-hour limit values for cobalt and its inorganic compounds: 0.01 mg/m³ for the inhalable fraction and 0.0025 mg/m³ for the respirable fraction, measured as cobalt. Transitional limit values of 0.02 and 0.0042 mg/m³ respectively apply until 20 November 2032. The change is significant for metallurgy, materials production and work environment laboratories. The act enters into force on 19 November 2026; national transposition must be completed by 20 November 2028. Companies should check the sampling, the differentiation between the two fractions and the sensitivity of the methods with the future requirements and the current national law.
The EU clarifies actions in case of non-compliance with the veterinary withdrawal period
EU / Bulgaria · food of animal origin and official controls · delegated regulation adopted
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/2408, published on 30 October, specifies the actions of control authorities in the event of non-compliance with the withdrawal period after veterinary treatment. Affected products of animal origin are declared unfit for human consumption and are sent for destruction as Category 2 material. In the case of mixed batches from which the affected products cannot be separated, the authority assesses the available information and determines risk measures. The rules enter into force on 19 November 2026. Slaughterhouses, breeders and processors must check treatment records, batch identification and detention and recall procedures. The alert specifically concerns the non-compliance with the withdrawal period.
Documents for batches of live bivalve molluscs are being updated
EU / Bulgaria · aquaculture and food traceability · delegated regulation adopted
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1829, published on 30 October, replaces the registration document for the movement of live bivalve molluscs and specifies the data to be filled in by intermediate operators. Depending on the operations carried out, the periods and places of conditioning, re-immersion, purification and grouping are recorded, as well as the identification of the batch. The recipient certifies the arrival and the documents are kept for at least twelve months. The act enters into force on 19 November 2026. Producers, dispatch and purification centres should update the document templates and checks on receipt.
Upcoming deadlines
One month left until the change for original vehicle certificates
Bulgaria · cars and proof of conformity · adopted act · T–30
On 29 November 2026, the transitional period for the amendment to Regulation No. I-45, published in the State Gazette, issue 97 of 23 October, expires. Until this date, the owner shall present a valid original of the EU certificate of conformity upon initial registration of a new vehicle. After the deadline, the original will not be required for categories M, N and O, as well as for category L, when the provided electronic certificate is available. This is a reminder T–30, not a new act. Importers, dealers and owners should check the availability and compliance of the electronic data; the elimination of the paper original is conditional, not a general exemption from proving compliance.
Week for opinions on proposed fisheries inspections
Bulgaria · fisheries and control evidence · consultation · T–7
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is accepting comments on the draft amendment to the Forestry Act, published on 23 October, until 6 November 2026. Its transitional provisions propose changes to fisheries control, including the verification of on-board tracking equipment and AIS, access to the areas of the vessel subject to inspection and monitoring of catch samples. This reminder T–7 concerns fishing operators and organisations that maintain control records. The text remains a draft and does not create any new powers in force. Interested parties can assess the practical feasibility, preservation of evidence and clarity of procedures and submit specific comments within the deadline.
Two weeks for comments on proposed TCE deadline extension
USA · chemicals and industrial chains · consultation · T–14
Until November 13, 2026, EPA is accepting comments on proposal 2026-20964 to extend certain compliance deadlines for trichloroethylene (TCE). The proposal, published on October 14, proposes a deadline of December 31, 2027, for specific processing activities, processing aid uses, and associated wastewater disposal. This is a T-14 reminder that is relevant to suppliers and businesses serving U.S. industrial supply chains. The extension has not yet been adopted and should not be used as a basis for postponing existing obligations. Organizations should compare the scope of their own uses to the proposal and support any comments with technical evidence.
Strategic Watch
CEN-CENELEC updates the framework for standards under the new Construction Products Regulation
EU / Bulgaria · construction products, testing and verification · current baseline · standardization guideline
CEN-CENELEC Guide 36:2026 provides guidance for the development of candidate harmonised performance standards under Article 5 of Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 on construction products. The document is dated September 2026 and was included in the Belgian NBN catalogue on 29 October. It is introduced in MOODY NEWS as an initial baseline and not as a new legal obligation. The guidance covers assessment methods, testing, production control and verification. Manufacturers, laboratories and assessment bodies should monitor how future product standards will use this framework. The publication of the guide does not in itself make a specific product standard harmonised and does not replace the applicable transitional rules.
Published by MG Global in partnership with ERPI.
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