Chemical compliance

What’s happening? Here is an update for October 2024:

EU REACH: towards a revision by new European Commission
PFAS: EU-wide restriction on subgroup of substances adopted
ECHA: webinars on new legal requirements

EU REACH: towards a revision by new European Commission

On 17 September, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was elected for a second mandate (2024-2029), put forward a list of Commissioners-designate and determined their portfolios, reflecting the ambitions set out in her Political Guidelines.

The section ‘A more circular and resilient economy’ highlights the following:

Working to decarbonise our economy will be part of our continued shift to a more sustainable pattern of production and consumption, retaining the value of resources in our economy for longer.

This will be the purpose of a new Circular Economy Act, helping to create market demand for secondary materials and a single market for waste, notably in relation to critical raw materials.

We will put forward a new chemicals industry package, aiming to simplify REACH and provide clarity on “forever chemicals”, or PFAS.

Swedish EU minister Jessika Roswall was nominated as Commissioner for environment, water resilience and a competitive circular economy. If confirmed, she will be responsible for overseeing chemicals policies, including the long-awaited REACH revision and a chemicals industry package.

The Commissioners-designate go through confirmation hearings at the European Parliament.

Once completed, the whole Commission is approved in a single vote of consent by the Parliament.

PFAS: EU-wide restriction on subgroup of substances adopted

In September 2024, the European Commission adopted a restriction on undecafluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), its salts and related substances, which will apply from 10 April 2026.

The new entry 79 was added to the European Chemical Agency’s (ECHA) List of Substances restricted under REACH (Annex XVII to REACH Regulation) on 30 September 2024.

PFHxA substances are very persistent in the environment and can contaminate soil, drinking water and seas.

They may be used in various consumer products, including clothing, footwear and cosmetics.

More information on Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is available on ECHA’s dedicated page.

H2 Compliance’s Chemical team also monitors the topic closely.

ECHA: webinars on new legal requirements

Introduction to ECHA’s guidance on new CLP hazard classes

On 21 November 2024, at 11:00 (Helsinki time), the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) will present its guidance on the new hazard classes under the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation.

The webinar will also cover classification criteria for substances with:

• endocrine disrupting properties
• persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) or very persistent and very bioaccumulative properties (vPvB), and
• persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) or very persistent and very mobile properties (vPvM)

Last month, COMPASS covered the new hazard classes and implications for clients here.

Looking towards the future of drinking water applications

On 27 November 2024, at 11:00 (Helsinki time), ECHA will give a comprehensive overview of its guidance on the Drinking Water Directive.

The webinar will cover:

• the application process, including the new European positive lists for starting substances, compositions and constituents, and
• information requirements for the Drinking Water Directive notifications and applications, with practical advice on compliance

Future issues of COMPASS will cover the upcoming requirements.