Topics
ECHA
June 21, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) publishes five-year review on the operation of REACH and CLP regulations; discusses impacts and shortcomings; 71 chemicals added to harmonized classification and labeling list; in 90% of cases, chemical’s general safety assessment is performed and communicated down the supply chain but half are incomplete; 33% of safety data sheets for mixtures not compliant, 17% incorrectly classified; 44% of chemicals needing authorization due to health risks are being phased out likely due to REACH
Reading time: 3 minutes
May 28, 2021
ChemSec finds statement in recent European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) press release misleading; ECHA claims hazardous chemical usage down 97% in the European Union, but percentage based on chemical volumes in company applications for authorization and not on registered production volumes
Topics: ECHA, hazard assessment
Reading time: 0 minutes
April 28, 2021
European Commission, following its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, tasks ECHA with defining hazard classes for revision of the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) regulation; to include persistent, mobile, and toxic (PMT) chemicals, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and various classifications of toxicity
Reading time: 1 minute
April 14, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) proposes addition of seven substances of very high concern (SVHC) to REACH authorization list; includes the siloxanes octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6), terphenyl, hydrogenated, di(2-propylheptyl) phthalate (DCHP), disodium octaborate, and benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride (TMA)
Reading time: 1 minute
April 8, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announces call for experts to join its Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC); roles to support chemical risk assessments, chemical substitutions and alternatives analyses, socio-economic analyses; applications accepted until May 7, 2021
Topics: ECHA
Reading time: 0 minutes
March 23, 2021
European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC) publishes report reviewing derived no-effect levels (DNELs); finds European Chemicals Agency’s default assessment factors (AFs) “in some cases overly conservative”; recommends reviewing and using alternative AFs
Topics: ECHA, risk assessment
Reading time: 1 minute
March 16, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) launches public consultation on identifying eight new substances of very high concern (SVHCs); four are food contact chemicals (FCCs): bisphenol B, 1,4-dioxane, medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCP), and phenol alkylation products with C12-rich branched or linear alkyl chains from oligomerization (PDDP); open for public comment until April 23, 2021
Reading time: 1 minute
March 10, 2021
European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) announces opinion not approving silver compounds for application in food contact materials (FCMs); includes silver zinc zeolite, silver zeolite, silver copper zeolite, silver sodium hydrogen zirconium phosphate; finds risk unacceptable for human health; next meeting scheduled in June 2021
Reading time: 1 minute
February 17, 2021
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) study analyzes costs and benefits of REACH restrictions proposed during 2016-2020; finds public health benefits of €2.1 billion per year outweigh costs of €0.5 billion per year; restrictions protect over seven million EU citizens from cancers, sexual development disorders, asthma, skin allergies; prevents annual release of 100 000 tons of polluting chemicals
Reading time: 1 minute
November 30, 2020
EU competent authorities for REACH and CLP (CARACAL) members debate merits of mandatory pre-registration of polymers under REACH; several EU member states voice support for pre-registration; discussion to continue in 2021
Reading time: 1 minute
