The European Union (EU) has recently adopted a restriction regulating Synthetic Polymer Microparticles (SPMs) intentionally added to products under the EU chemical legislation REACH. Entry 78 of Annex XVII REACH: https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/a5eaa862-fa4d-2e18-f5a5-3bda98e09ee7 The aim of this restriction is to prevent the release of SPMs into the environment . This restriction prohibits the sale of SPMs as such, as well as of…
ECHA/NR/25/11 The European Chemicals Agency brings forward a proposal for an EU-wide restriction on certain hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), substances. The aim is to reduce the harmful effects of these carcinogenic chemicals for both workers and the public. Helsinki, 29 April 2025 – At the request of the European Commission, ECHA has assessed the risks posed by certain Cr(VI) substances to workers and…
CSRD, CSDDD European Parliament Press Releases Plenary session JURI The European Parliament voted to postpone the application dates for new EU laws on due diligence and sustainability reporting requirements. The new due diligence rules require companies to mitigate their negative impact on people and the planet. Companies subject to the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) have to report according…
On 31 March 2025, the European Parliament debated and then voted on the “one substance, one assessment” solution. This approach aims to increase the simplicity and transparency of European Union legislation, as well as to improve the safety assessment of chemicals and increase the availability of data on the same chemical substance. The debate touched on the following issues: Creation…
The Forum’s subgroup on Biocidal Products Regulation (BPRS), agreed the major enforcement project on biocides (BEF-3) which will focus on controlling the correctness of product labels for biocidal products. Inspectors in 2025 will check that the information on the labelling of biocides corresponds to that what has been authorised and included in the Summary of Product Characteristics. Inspectors may also check…
The European Commission has taken a major step towards implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), aimed at preventing deforestation globally by regulating products entering or exported from the EU market. Extended Timeline for EUDR Requirements Recognizing the global scope of this legislation and the challenges it poses to businesses, the European Commission has proposed extending the compliance deadlines. Large…
At the end of September, the European Commission updated Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The update cover two substances included in Annex I: a) Methoxychlor – concentration equal to or below 0.01 mg/kg if methoxychlor is present in substances, mixtures or articles.…
The end of the transition period for poison centre notifications is approaching. This means that all notifications for hazardous mixtures placed on the EU market must be in the harmonised format according to Annex VIII of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation from 1 January 2025. The transition period has allowed companies to continue placing their hazardous mixtures on the…
Ensuring the prevention of chemicalaccidents at hazardous facilities is a key component of chemicals management. This document is based on a 2023 OECD seminar series on the Management of Hazardous Substances at Port Areas. The first seminar covered examples from countries on the functioning of their ports with regard to the management of hazardous substances. The second focused on elements…
EFSA and ECHA guidance is now available From 1 April 2026, a new requirement in Europe is to assess the impact of water treatment processes on active substances and their metabolites. This initiative, which is jointly led by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), covers new registrations and renewal of registrations of active substances…