The final public comment period on an amendment to the EU’s Classification, Labeling, and Packaging Regulation (CLP, EC 1272/2008) concerning the incorporation on chemical hazard classes opened on September 20, 2022. The amendment will add two chemical categories concerning endocrine disruptors: “known or presumed endocrine disruptors (category 1) and suspected endocrine disruptors (category 2), both for human health and for the environment.” Moreover, it will add the hazard classes PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic), vPvB (very persistent, very bioaccumulative), PMT (persistent, mobile, toxic) and vPvM (very persistent, very mobile) borrowed from the REACH regulation.
This draft amendment is an offshoot of an ongoing, broader revision of the CLP (FPF reported) that was accelerated through the legislative process (FPF reported). Not all stakeholders agreed with the incorporation of the new classes into the regulation. Concerning PMT and vPvM classes, “while 75% of companies and business associations did not consider such categories necessary, 79% of civil society, 62% of citizens and 53% of public authorities did.”
The amendment will likely be adopted by the end of 2022. However, to give suppliers “time to adapt to the new classification and labeling provisions… the obligation to classify and label substances and mixtures in accordance with this Regulation should be deferred.” The comment deadline is October 18, 2022.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is also currently accepting comments on “nine proposals to identify new substances of very high concern” (SVHCs). The substances include food contact chemicals with known health effects such as bisphenol S (BPS, CAS 80-09-1) and melamine (CAS 108-78-1) (FPF reported, also here and here).
The comment deadline for the proposed SVHCs is October 17, 2022.
References
European Commission (September 20, 2022). “Introducing new hazard classes–CLP revision.”
ECHA (September 7, 2022). “Have your say: Nine proposals to identify new substances of very high concern.”
Read more
European Commission. “Revision of EU legislation on hazard classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals.”
Clelia Oziel (September 22, 2022). “Proposal for new CLP hazard classes opens for public consultation.” Chemical Watch
Vanessa Zainzinger (September 7, 2022). “Industry braces for EU fast-track adoption of CLP hazard classes.” Chemical Watch
Cefic (September 2022). “Revision of EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation: what is at stake?”
