Enforcement Forum: November highlights

The Enforcement Forum (Forum) adopted a new work programme that sets out the EU level enforcement priorities for 2024-2025 for REACH, CLP, PIC, POPs and the Biocidal Product regulations. These include actions on areas with a high risk of non-compliance such as online sales, imported articles, classification and labelling or complying with restriction requirements. 

Helsinki, 14 November 2023 –The Forum will address these focus areas through EU-wide enforcement projects, training for inspectors and practical guides promoting harmonised enforcement. It will also continue to provide advice on the enforceability of new restriction proposals. The work programme will be published on the ECHA website soon. 

Ongoing enforcement projects

The Forum also discussed its on-going enforcement projects: the checks of imported products (REF-12) starting in early 2024 and the results of an EU-wide project on integrated control of hazardous chemicals in products (REF-10). The final report of REF-10 will be published later this year. The Forum also plans to harmonise the enforcement of the restriction on substances in tattoo inks in 2024.

Forum open session

Representatives from 18 stakeholder organisations and four candidate countries attended the annual open session of the Forum. The session covered the latest developments in the work of the Forum and topics and initiatives relevant for industry, including small and medium-sized enterprises. The materials from the open session will be published on ECHA’s website.

Topics in the open session included: 

• Labelling of biocidal products;
• Implementing the tattoo inks restriction;
• Compliance of ozone generating devices;
• Industry experience in improving dossier compliance; and
• Project on analysing the presence of chemicals in textiles.

Biocidal Product Regulation Subgroup (BPRS)

The Forum’s BPRS looked at the results of the second EU-wide biocides enforcement project (BEF-2) on the presence of non-approved substances in biocidal products for consumers and professionals sold on the EU/EEA and Swiss markets. The project’s final report will be published during 2023. The BPRS also started preparations for its next enforcement project (BEF-3) on examining the summary of product characteristics for biocides for which inspections are planned in 2025.

The Forum met remotely 7-10 November and the BPRS 14 November 2023. The next meetings will be held in March 2024.

Background

The Enforcement Forum and its biocides subgroup (BPRS) are networks of enforcement authorities from the EU and EEA. Switzerland participates in the work of the BPRS. 
They are responsible for coordinating the enforcement of the REACH, CLP, PIC, POPs and the Biocidal Product regulations with the aim of protecting our health and the environment while ensuring a level playing field for companies across the EU/EEA market.