EU Industrial Designs Regulation 2026: what changes for companies and holders

Key data

If your company protects industrial designs in the European Union, the procedures you have been following until now have been repealed. The Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1842, in force since 28 July 2026, establishes new rules for all procedures before the EUIPO: from initial registration to renewal, opposition and any other procedure related to registered Community designs.

The regulation implements Regulation (EU) 2026/715 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which is the underlying legal framework on EU designs. The implementing regulation is the piece that translates that framework into concrete procedures: what forms to use, what deadlines to meet and what formal requirements to comply with.

What does this regulation establish?

Regulation (EU) 2026/1842 comprehensively regulates procedures before the EUIPO for Community industrial designs. The areas covered are:

• Design registration: new forms and formal requirements for submitting EU design registration applications.
• Registration renewal: updated deadlines and procedures for maintaining registered designs in force.
• Opposition procedures: revised rules for challenging third-party registrations before the EUIPO.
• Other procedures: any additional procedure related to the management of registered Community designs.

The following table summarises the comparison between the repealed and new regulations:

It is relevant that the entry into force date (28 July 2026) is earlier than the official publication date (28 October 2026). This means that procedures were already subject to the new rules from July, so any procedure initiated between both dates must be verified to confirm its compliance with the new regulation.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact is not of an economic penalty type —the regulation does not establish new fees or specific fines— but rather operational and formal compliance. The concrete risks for companies are:

• Applications rejected or stalled if forms or procedures from the repealed regulation (EU) 2026/138 are used.
• Loss of deadlines in renewals or oppositions if the new timeframes established by (EU) 2026/1842 are not applied.
• Risk of registration expiry in renewal procedures that do not adapt to the new formal requirements.
• Additional costs for legal advice to review and adapt ongoing procedures, especially in large design portfolios.

For companies with active design portfolios —common in fashion, consumer electronics, automotive or packaging— the cost of not adapting can result in the loss of protection over valuable industrial property assets.

Who does it affect?

• Fashion and textile companies with designs registered in the EU (collections, prints, product shapes).
• Technology and electronics manufacturers that protect the appearance of their devices and components.
• Automotive sector with designs of bodies, parts and interior elements registered before the EUIPO.
• Consumer goods companies (food, cosmetics, home) that register the design of packaging and products.
• Independent industrial designers holding Community design registrations.
• Intellectual and industrial property firms that manage design portfolios for clients.
• Legal and IP departments of any company with design assets registered in the EU.

Practical example

A Spanish fashion company has 15 Community designs registered with the EUIPO and has 4 of them pending renewal, whose deadline expires in the coming months. Until July 2026, its legal department managed these renewals following the forms and deadlines of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/138.

With the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2026/1842 on 28 July 2026, those renewal procedures must be processed with the new forms and deadlines established by the current regulation. If the legal team has not updated its templates and internal processes, there is a risk that the EUIPO will reject the applications for not meeting current formal requirements, which could result in the expiry of registrations and the loss of protection over those designs.

The solution involves immediately reviewing all pending procedures and verifying that the procedures of the new regulation are used, not those of the repealed one.

What should companies do now?

1. Audit the design portfolio: identify which registrations have pending procedures (renewals, oppositions, modifications) and their current status.
2. Verify the forms in use: confirm with the legal team or industrial property agent that the forms of Regulation (EU) 2026/1842 are being used, not those of the repealed (EU) 2026/138.
3. Review procedures initiated between July and October 2026: any procedure submitted during that period must be checked to ensure it complies with the new requirements, since the regulation was already in force from 28 July even though it was published on 28 October.
4. Update internal processes: IP and legal departments must update their protocols, templates and deadline calendars in accordance with the new regulation.
5. Consult the EUIPO: access the official EUIPO website to obtain updated forms and procedure guides under the new regulation.

Official source

Consult the complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202601842