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EU
June 24, 2022
Ministers of environment from 8 EU Member States write open letter to EU Commission to uphold the original ambitions of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability during the REACH revision and elsewhere in EU policy; Commission should set date for when hazardous chemicals must be out of consumer products; regulations should include essential use concept, risk assessment of chemicals mixtures
Reading time: 2 minutes
June 22, 2022
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) adds n-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC); used in a wide array of food contact applications across Europe, Asia, Mercosur, and the US; obligates producers and suppliers within the EU to provide safety information and to notify ECHA
Reading time: 1 minute
April 12, 2022
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recommends 34 bisphenols be classified as substances of very high concern (SVHCs) as a group; three of the bisphenols already individually classified as SVHCs; for some bisphenols, more data necessary before classification; group classification can help avoid regrettable substitution
Reading time: 0 minutes
March 30, 2022
Standing Committee of the European Commission debates a slightly revised draft regulation on recycled plastics in food contact materials (FCMs); voting carried out as written procedure; final decision expected to be favorable
Reading time: 2 minutes
March 30, 2022
Market research from German consumer organization Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (VZBV) finds consumers are concerned about food packaging safety but have little understanding of chemicals in packaging; consumers assume all food contact materials and their components have been tested for safety
Reading time: 3 minutes
January 31, 2022
More than 40 representatives of the European public discuss concerns with EU institutions; panel on climate change and health adopts 51 recommendations for the EU; includes recommendation for ‘swift elimination of non-sustainable packaging’
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January 25, 2022
European Commission (EC) opens a public comment period on biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics; consultation will advise EC during development of new policies for these plastics; three areas of particular focus: sustainability of feedstocks, verification of biodegradation claims, and “widespread confusion” among consumers on terms and proper disposal routes; comment period open until March 15, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
January 24, 2022
European Commission (EC) opens a public consultation period concerning the revision of REACH regulation; REACH is responsible for outlining chemical assessment procedures in the EU; possible updates include assessing chemical mixtures, simplifying safety data sheets, and incorporating essential-use concept; consultation period open until April 15, 2022
Reading time: 1 minute
January 19, 2022
Food Packaging Forum (FPF) comments on EU draft regulation for recycled plastics FCMs; exemptions for the risk assessment of “incidental contamination” and for pre-market assessment of novel technologies likely to increase hazardous chemical exposure for the general public
Reading time: 2 minutes
January 11, 2022
Council of the EU announces member states endorsement of recently completed negotiations on the 8th Environmental Action Program (EAP); EAP will guide EU climate and environmental policy until 2030; priority objectives include decreasing the EU’s material and consumption footprints
Reading time: 2 minutes
