News

Call for evidence on presence of CMRs in childcare articles

To protect children, the European Commission is planning to prepare a REACH restriction proposal on carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) substances in childcare articles. We are helping the Commission by preparing an investigation report.

We are now asking interested parties to send us information on the potential presence of CMRs (categories 1A or 1B) in childcare articles.

This call for evidence is open until 31 March 2023. Our report is expected to be ready in September 2023.

Current calls for comments and evidence | Mandate

REACH

Lead gunshot banned in wetlands

The EU-wide ban on using lead gunshot in wetland areas starts applying on

16 February 2023.

This restriction harmonises national laws already in place in various forms in 23 EU Member States and introduces new legislation in four EU Member States: Ireland, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. It also implements the international Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) to protect wetland birds in the EU.

The restriction is expected to protect the environment by reducing lead pollution and preventing the death of around one million waterbirds every year from lead poisoning.

In January 2021, we proposed a broader restriction covering the use of lead in hunting, outdoor sports shooting and fishing. This proposal and the scientific committees’ opinion will soon be sent to the European Commission for decision making.

Commission regulation | Topical page

EU-wide enforcement of safety data sheets launched

National enforcement authorities have started inspecting the compliance of safety data sheets for chemicals sold on the EU market. Checking safety data sheets was agreed by ECHA’s Enforcement Forum as this year’s harmonised enforcement project (REF-11).

The main objective is to assess whether duty holders have updated and provided safety data sheets according to the new requirements of Annex II to REACH.

The operational phase for this project continues throughout 2023 and the results will be reported in 2024.

REF-11 | Safety data sheets

Consultations launched for applications for authorisation

ECHA has launched a consultation on 13 applications for authorisation covering 14 uses of:

Chromium trioxide (EC 215-607-8, CAS 1333-82-0): used in functional chrome plating, functional chrome plating with decorative character, passivation of electrolytic tinplate (ETP)
Sodium dichromate (EC 234-190-3, CAS 10588-01-9): passivation of electrolytic tinplate (ETP)
4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol, ethoxylated (EC -, CAS -): manufacturing aid in the production of gene therapies.

More details about the functions of the substances, the uses applied for, exposure scenarios, possible alternatives, and socio-economic information are available on ECHA's website.

Submit comments by 12 April 2023.

Applications for authorisation - current consultations

Assessment of regulatory needs report published

We have published a report assessing the regulatory needs for a group of aliphatic secondary and tertiary amides.

You can filter the list from our website by group name to see all the substances in the group and access the report.

Assessment of regulatory needs

New substance evaluation conclusions published

New conclusion documents are now available for:

3-aminopropyldimethylamine (EC 203-680-9, CAS 109-55-7), added to the Community rolling action plan (CoRAP) list in 2014 and evaluated by Austria.
4-methylanisole (EC 203-253-7, CAS 104-93-8), added to the CoRAP list in 2021 and evaluated by Ireland.

Community rolling action plan | Substance evaluation

Scientific committees meet in March – agendas available

The agendas of the upcoming web-based committee meetings are online:

The Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) will meet from 13-16 March 2023; and
The Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) will meet from
7-10 March and from 14-15 March 2023.

RAC agenda | SEAC agenda

CLP

New intentions and proposals to harmonise classification and labelling

Five intentions have been received for:

O-isopropyl ethylthiocarbamate (EC 205-517-7, CAS 141-98-0);
3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)propionaldehyde (EC 242-016-2, CAS 18127-01-0);
Dazomet (EC 208-576-7, CAS 533-74-4);
Terpineol (EC 232-268-1, CAS 8000-41-7); and
Bronopol (EC 200-143-0, CAS 52-51-7).

Four proposals have been submitted for:

3-p-cumenyl-2-methylpropionaldehyde
(EC 203-161-7, CAS 103-95-7);
Pentapotassium bis(peroxymonosulphate) bis(sulphate)
(EC 274-778-7, CAS 70693-62-8);
Piperonal (EC 204-409-7, CAS 120-57-0); and
Calcium bromide (EC 232-164-6, CAS 7789-41-5).

One withdrawal has been received for:

Sodium metaborate tetrahydrate (EC 600-663-1, CAS 10555-76-7).

Registry of CLH intentions until outcome

Biocides

New guidance helps analyse alternatives to biocidal active substances

The guidance helps companies and authorities analyse alternatives to biocidal active substances that meet the substitution criteria under the Biocidal Products Regulation. A new template to report the analysis is also available.

The guidance provides a flexible approach and can be adapted depending on the case and the needs of the actors performing the analysis.

If your active substance is a candidate for substitution, follow the guidance and include the analysis of alternatives as part of your application.

Guidance | Analysis of alternatives template | Competent authority note (link to competent authority note updated to point to final version)

EUON

NanoData has new content

The nanotechnology knowledgebase NanoData has been updated with new market data. Two new nanotechnology sectors – agriculture and consumer products (with subsectors textiles and cosmetics) have been added.

Check out the updated content on the NanoData website.

NanoData

Two new tender notices published

We have published two new ex-ante publicity notices for two service contracts for these studies:

Information on nano-enabled plant protection products, biocides and fertilising products (ECHA/2022/512). Express interest by
1 March 2023.
Review of the potential for release of nanoparticles from articles with embedded nanomaterials and the toxicity of the released nanoparticles (ECHA/2022/513). Express interest by 6 March 2023.

More info

POPs

Commission consultation on PFHxS

The European Commission is seeking feedback on the draft act that adds PFHxS, its salts and PFHxS-related compounds to Annex I of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation.

Once listed, their production, use, import and export will be prohibited.

Provide your feedback by 9 March 2023.

Have your say

Board of Appeal

Appeal against a compliance check decision, for the most part, dismissed

In case A-012-2021, the Board of Appeal found that ECHA did not commit an error in requesting the appellant to provide information on degradation simulation testing and the identification of degradation products under Column 2 of Section 9.2 of Annex VIII to REACH. The Board of Appeal therefore dismissed that part of the appeal.

However, the Board of Appeal annulled the requirement in the contested decision to provide information on bioaccumulation in aquatic species as the version of REACH applicable at the time the contested decision was adopted did not allow ECHA to request that information from registrants at the 10 to 100 tonnes per year tonnage band.

Decision

European Commission