The “classification, labelling and packaging” regulation clarifies hazard classes, and regulates the way these hazards must be communicated. This, according to the Commission, alongside environmental and consumer protection, also improves the functioning of the EU market. However, since 2008, when the regulation was introduced, purchasing habits have changed, and chemical policies expanded, which justified the updates.
From the European Parliament’s side, the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) prepared a report on CLP, authored by MEP Maria Spyraki, who co-chaired the relevant EuChemS Science Policy workshop on the element of phosphorus in May 2023.
The revision of the CLP legislation, began last year. The Commission’s proposal was made in December 2022, related to the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, and to the revision of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. And while REACH is still in the works, the provisional agreement on CLP is an important milestone in the EU’s chemical policy. With regards to the communication of hazards, rules for clarity of signalling were improved, and requirements for better access to online information were added. With regards to hazard classes, the revision allows the European Commission to develop classification proposals in addition to industry and member states. A number of new hazard classes were also introduced by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) earlier this year. The rules regarding the classification of “substances containing more than one constituent” (MOCS) were also changed, and finally, rules for refillable chemicals were added – which ties in with the circular economy aims of the union.
The rules, after formal adoption, will be published in the Official Journal of the EU, and enter into force.
