Chemicals label – Image by Clker-Free-Vector on Pixabay
(BRUSSELS) – The European Commission launched a public consultation Monday on the revision of the Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures (“CLP Regulation”).
This revision is one of the 85 actions planned in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, adopted by the Commission in October 2020 as a first step towards the zero pollution ambition. Citizens and organisations are invited to share their views until 15 November 2021.
The CLP Regulation is the core piece of legislation used in the EU to identify and communicate the hazardous properties of chemicals. It stems from the United Nations’ global standard (GHS) and enacts this standard into EU law. It sets out how to classify chemicals which are hazardous (e.g. as carcinogenic or hazardous to the aquatic environment) and how to communicate those hazards across supply chains and to consumers and workers. For this revision, the Commission will examine, among others, different measures and options to introduce new hazard classes (such as endocrine disruption as well as persistency, bioaccumulation and toxicity) and corresponding classification criteria.
As one of the objectives of the European Green Deal and the Chemicals Strategy, this revision will help to achieve a legitimate higher level of protection of citizens and of the environment against hazardous chemicals. It is also an opportunity to foster substitution of hazardous chemicals by safer ones and to promote EU industry as a global frontrunner in the production and use of safe and sustainable chemicals.
The Commission is currently undertaking an impact assessment to decide on the most appropriate way forward and has launched a public consultation as part of this exercise. The consultation seeks to gather the views of citizens, institutions and organisations from the public and private sectors on how to best revise the CLP Regulation taking into account scientific and technical progress. This questionnaire consists of two sections: one with more general questions, and the other with more expert questions.
Roadmap on simplification and digitalisation of labelling requirements for chemicals
