Season's greetings

We wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and all the best for 2023.

PIC

Reported trade of hazardous chemicals increased following Brexit

The reported volume of chemicals exported from and imported to the EU under the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation significantly increased in 2021 due in large part to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal.

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CLP

Commission proposes revised CLP Regulation

The European Commission has proposed a revised Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. The revision introduces new hazard classes for endocrine disruptors and other harmful chemical substances to better protect people and the environment from hazardous chemicals.

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New intentions and proposals to harmonise classification and labelling

Four intentions have been received for:

Malathion (EC 204-497-7, CAS 121-75-5).
Butane-1,4-diol (EC 203-786-5, CAS 110-63-4).
γ-butyrolactone (EC 202-509-5, CAS 96-48-0).
Hydrogen peroxide (EC 231-765-0, CAS 7722-84-1).

Two proposals have been submitted for:

Thymol (EC 201-944-8, CAS 89-83-8).
Garlic, ext. (EC 232-371-1, CAS 8008-99-9).

Registry of CLH intentions until outcome

Consultation on harmonised classification and labelling

We are looking for comments on the harmonised classification and labelling proposals for:

3-iodo-2-propynyl butylcarbamate; 3-iodoprop-2-yn-1-yl butylcarbamate (EC 259-627-5, CAS 55406-53-6).

A combined format including the competent authority (renewal) assessment report prepared according to Commission Delegated Regulation (EC 1062/2014) and the proposal for an updated harmonised classification and labelling (CLH Report) according to the CLP Regulation has been used. For additional information, check our website.

The deadline for comments is 17 February 2023.

Give comments

REACH

Consultation on proposed restriction of bisphenol A and other bisphenols

Germany has submitted a proposal to restrict the placing on the market of mixtures and articles containing bisphenol A, other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives (BoSC – BPB, BPS, BPF and BPAF) with endocrine disrupting properties for the environment.

This consultation is open from 21 December 2022 to 22 June 2023 (23:59 Helsinki time).

Our scientific committees welcome early comments by 25 January 2023 to help them in the first discussion of the proposal in March 2023.

Have your say

Consultation on proposed restriction of creosote and creosote-related substances

France has submitted a proposal to restrict the placing on the market, re-use and secondary use of wood treated with creosote or creosote-related substances.

This consultation is open from 21 December 2022 to 22 June 2023 (23:59 Helsinki time).

Our scientific committees welcome early comments by 25 January 2023 to help them in the first discussion of the proposal in February/March 2023.

Have your say

ECHA to investigate presence of hazardous chemicals in childcare articles

The European Commission has requested us to collect and summarise information on the potential presence of carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances in childcare articles (those classified as known CMRs (1A) and presumed CMRs (1B) under CLP).

This work will support the Commission in preparing a restriction proposal following the simplified restriction procedure for CMR substances (REACH Article 68(2)).

Our report is expected to be ready by the end of September 2023.

Current restriction activities

Assessment of regulatory needs reports published

We have published reports assessing the regulatory needs for groups of:

From our website, you can filter the list by group name to get a full list of substances within each group and access the reports.

Assessment of regulatory needs

REACH guidance on intermediates updated

The update revises the definition of an intermediate in Appendix 4, following the judgment of the EU’s Court of Justice on acrylamide.

The revised Appendix 4 was endorsed by the competent authorities for REACH and CLP in June 2022 following a revision process, which involved Member States, the European Commission and ECHA.

Guidance | Acrylamide judgment

MISA project comes to an end

The Metals and Inorganics Sectoral Approach (MISA) programme under which ECHA, Eurometaux and 29 industry associations cooperated to resolve metal-specific technical and scientific issues has concluded.

The programme resulted in the more harmonised application of read across and exposure assessments. Rapid removal for environmental classification was discussed and an approach for inorganic substances of unknown or variable composition, complex reaction products, or biological materials (UVCBs) was developed.

By the end of the four-year programme, key human health and environmental endpoints were updated at least once for about 60 % of the 340 substances. Testing proposals also increased during 2017 to 2021. However, data gaps still exist for some data poor metal substances.

MISA final report | MISA web pages

Biocides

ECHA and EFSA note on sulfur dioxide and sulfites evaluations

We have published a document together with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) comparing the assessments done on sulfur dioxide as a biocide and on sulfites as food additives.

ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) adopted its opinion on sulfur dioxide as an active substance for two product types in September: product-type 4, use in disinfection and preservation of wine barrels; and product-type 9, used to prevent microbial growth in shoe boxes during storage and transport. EFSA published its updated opinion on sulfur dioxide (E220) and sulfites (E221-228) as food additives in November.

ECHA and EFSA note | Assessment report and BPC opinion PT 4 | Assessment report and BPC opinion PT 9 | EFSA’s scientific opinion

New instructions available to adapt internal databases to SPC IUCLID format

In the future, you will need to prepare the summary of product characteristics files in IUCLID instead of using the SPC Editor. To prepare for the transition, support materials are now available to help you implement the SPC IUCLID format outside of the IUCLID tool.

Find out more

Nanomaterials

Nanopinion: Controlling exposure to nanomaterials

Read our latest guest column by Dr Araceli Sánchez, on why it is essential to set up legally binding occupational exposure limits for nanomaterials and the challenges that come with this.

Read the full text

EUCLEF

EUCLEF has been updated

The European Chemicals Legislation Finder (EUCLEF) has been updated with information on the:

Cosmetics Regulation;
Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive;
Plant Protection Products Regulation; and
Pesticides Residues Regulation.

EUCLEF is seamlessly integrated with ECHA’s chemicals database and is updated regularly. You can find out which chemicals laws apply to your substances by clicking on the “Regulatory Obligations” section on the substance infocards.

EUCLEF also comes with a dedicated regulatory helpdesk which is free of charge.

Check out EUCLEF | Watch this quick demo

ECHA