The CLP Regulation defines criteria for identifying a wide range of hazards that chemical substances and mixtures may have. ECHA’s Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) will assess any proposals for harmonised classification and labelling for the new hazard classes and include these in an opinion. This supports the principle of one substance, one assessment, which aims to bring more consistency to hazard identification across European legislation.

ECHA has updated the harmonised classification and labelling (CLH) proposal template and the combined CLH/biocide template. The templates now include sections for the new hazard classes.

Member States are invited to use the revised template for preparing CLH proposals including the new hazard classes. A manufacturer, importer or downstream user may also prepare a CLH proposal and submit it to ECHA if there is no existing entry for that substance in the table of harmonised entries in Annex VI to CLP.

The new hazard classes will be included in IUCLID during spring 2024. From then on, manufacturers, importers, downstream users and distributors 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 expiry of the transition period, it will be mandatory to indicate if the substance is classified in any of the new hazard classes.

In cooperation with EFSA, ECHA is preparing an update of the Guidance on the Application of the CLP criteria to include guidance on the new hazard classes. Following consultations with stakeholders, the updated guidance is planned to be published in mid 2024.

Until then, the following guidance can be used:

For endocrine disruptors: EFSA/ECHA Guidance for the identification of endocrine disruptors in the context of Regulations (EU) No 528/2012 and EC No 1107/2009 https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5311

This guidance describes how to perform hazard identification for endocrine disrupting properties by following scientific criteria outlined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/2100 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/605 for biocidal products and plant protection products, respectively.

It is used to assess whether a substance meets the criteria for endocrine disruptors under the biocidal or plant protection product regulations. In addition, for the SVHC (substances of very high concern) identification process under the REACH Regulation, principles from this guidance have been used.

The criteria in the biocidal and plant protection product regulations are very similar to the new CLP criteria for Category 1. Therefore, the ECHA/EFSA guidance may be applied as such for assessing whether the substance meets the criteria for classification Category 1 (for human health and for the environment). When the evidence available for adversity or endocrine activity or both does not allow a robust conclusion to place a substance in Category 1, for example, due to inconsistencies in results or issues with study design, then Category 2 may be more appropriate.

For persistence and bioaccumulation: Guidance on Information Requirements and Chemical Safety Assessment, Part C: PBT/vPvB assessment (R11), Version 3.0, June 2017
https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/17235/information_requirements_part_c_en.pdf/e56a6015-807e-46eb-b808-e5a7dc9fd572?t=1498474748441

Please note that this guidance is also under revision.
https://echa.europa.eu/support/guidance/consultation-procedure/ongoing-reach

The CLP criteria for persistence (P), bioaccumulation (B) and toxicity (T) are almost identical to the ones currently in Annex XIII of the REACH Regulation. Accordingly, the Guidance on Information Requirements and Chemical Safety Assessment, Chapter R.11, currently being updated, will provide the first point of reference when evaluating these properties also under CLP.

This R.11 Guidance will be translated into CLP terminology in the Guidance on the Application of the CLP criteria to explain how to compare evidence with the CLP criteria.

Regarding mobility (M), new guidance is under development, including the weight-of-evidence determination for assessing all reliable and relevant information on mobility as a whole.

Chapters for endocrine disruptors, persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity and mobility will be available by mid 2024.