The adoption of the new Product Liability Directive (PLD, Directive 2024/2853) renews product liability rules after several decades and will make them better adapted to the digital age (e.g. one important novelty of the new PLD is that it covers libility for the defectiveness of software and AI systems).
The new PLD has already been published and Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the new PLD by 9 December 2026. The product liability rules under the new PLD shall apply to products placed on the market or put into service after 9 December 2026. (The "old" PLD, i.e. Directive 85/374/EEC is repealed with effect from 9 December 2026; however, it shall continue to apply with regard to products placed on the market or put into service before that date.)
In addition to extending the definition of product and thus the directive´s scope, the new PLD also brings a number of other novelties, including those related to digital services integrated or interconnected with products, such as digital manufacturing files.