ECHA provides advice on new hazard classes for substances and mixtures

Three new hazard classes for classifying, labelling and packaging (CLP) substances and mixtures enter into force on 20 April 2023. ECHA has published information on the application dates and related guidance.  

Helsinki, 20 April 2023 – The European Commission has updated the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation with the following hazard classes:

•    endocrine disruptors (ED) for human health or the environment;
•    persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT); very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB); and
•    persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT); very persistent and very mobile (vPvM).

Companies and Member State authorities can use current guidance on identifying endocrine disruptors and on PBT (persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity) assessment until the guidance on applying the CLP criteria has been updated. It is expected to be ready in 2024.  

The new hazard classes will be included in the IT tool IUCLID during spring 2024. From then on, companies will be able to include information related to the new hazard classes in their classification and labelling notifications, REACH registrations and dossiers for product and process orientated research and development (PPORD), as well as in their submissions under the Biocidal Products Regulation and poison centre notifications.

After the transition periods, it will be mandatory for companies to indicate if the substance is classified in any of the new hazard classes.

Information on transitional periods and dates when the regulation starts to apply to different substances and mixtures is available on ECHA’s website.