Highlights from December RAC and SEAC meetings

ECHA’s Committees for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) and Risk Assessment (RAC) support the proposed restriction on PAHs in clay targets for shooting and adopted four opinions on applications for authorisations.

Helsinki, 8 December 2022 – During its last meeting of the year, SEAC adopted its opinion on ECHA’s proposal to restrict the placing on the market and use of substances containing PAHs in clay targets for shooting submitted in October 2021. It would restrict the placing on the market of clay targets for shooting when they contain more than 0.005 % by weight of the sum of the concentrations of 18 indicator polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). RAC had adopted its opinion on the same restriction proposal in September 2022.

Other outcomes of the meetings were the following:

• RAC and SEAC adopted four opinions on applications for authorisation for uses of chromium trioxide and two opinions on review reports for authorisation of uses of trichloroethylene.
• RAC and SEAC concluded that the restriction proposals submitted by France on the placing on the market, re-use and secondary use of wood treated with creosote or related substances and the restriction proposal submitted by Germany on the placing on the market of mixtures and articles with BPA and other bisphenols conform with the legal requirements of a REACH restriction proposal. A six-month stakeholder consultation for both proposals will be launched on 21 December 2022.
• RAC adopted 10 opinions on harmonised classification and labelling.
• RAC adopted two opinions on occupational exposure limits (OELs) for cobalt and inorganic cobalt compounds and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
• RAC adopted its note on setting a derived no-effect level (DNEL) for DOTE, which is on the REACH Authorisation List (Annex XIV to REACH). This is intended to assist applicants for authorisation of these substances.

In addition, both RAC and SEAC back the proposed restriction on the use of lead in ammunition for hunting, outdoor sports shooting and in fishing. SEAC adopted its opinion and RAC adopted a supplementary opinion on risks to human health from lead in game meat. See more in a separate news release.

More about these topics can be found in the annex. Listen also to our podcast with the committee chairs Tim Bowmer and Maria Ottati.