ECHA Weekly - 10 January 2024

REACH

Deadline extended: call for evidence on octocrilene

To give stakeholders more time to gather data and support the preparation of a REACH restriction report on octocrilene, the deadline for the ongoing call for evidence has been extended.

Have your say until 12 February 2024.

European Commission decisions on applications for authorisation

The Commission has granted a total of 13 authorisations for the following 19 uses:

• 4 uses of chromium trioxide;
• 1 use of sodium dichromate;
• 6 uses of 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol, ethoxylated;
• 2 uses of 4-Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated;
• 3 uses of trichloroethylene; and
• 3 uses of 2,2'-dichloro-4,4'-methylenedianiline (MOCA).

You can find the substances and all details on the Commission website.

Assessment of regulatory needs reports published

Reports for the following substance groups are now available on our website:

• Lanthanum and its simple compounds
• Blocked isocyanates
• Isopropanolamines

If you have questions or feedback related to the assessment work, you can send them to us using this webform.

CLP

New proposals and withdrawals to harmonise classification and labelling

Four proposals have been submitted for:

• O-isopropyl ethylthiocarbamate (EC 205-517-7, CAS 141-98-0);
• 1-ethoxy-2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethane (EC 213-690-5, CAS 1002-67-1);
• Sodium chlorite (EC 231-836-6, CAS 7758-19-2); and
• calcium acetylide; calcium carbide (EC 200-848-3, CAS 75-20-7).

Four withdrawals have been received for:

• Silver copper zeolite (EC 868-573-7, CAS 130328-19-7);
• Silver zeolite (Zeolite, LTA framework type, ion exchanged with silver and ammonium ions) (EC 620-078-5, CAS 130328-18-6);
• Silver sodium zirconium hydrogenphosphate (EC 422-570-3, CAS 155925-27-2); and
• thiourea; thiocarbamide (EC 200-543-5, CAS 62-56-6).

Biocides

Want to keep using Pyrithione zinc in two product-types?

Companies have withdrawn their interest in getting Pyrithione zinc (Zinc pyrithione) approved in the biocides Review Programme for use in:

• disinfectants and algaecides not intended for direct application to humans or animals (product-type 2); and
• construction material preservatives (product-type 10).

Notify us by 21 December 2024 to keep this substance in the Review Programme.

SPC Editor into IUCLID launch in February 2024

We are finalising the transition of SPC Editor into IUCLID and will launch the tool on 10 February 2024. You will have access to supporting material including manuals, relevant questions and answers, and information on the availability of R4BP 3 during the transition in the coming weeks.

Enforcement

Enforcement authorities are checking imported products 

European enforcement authorities, in cooperation with customs, are investigating if companies fulfil their REACH registration and authorisation obligations for chemical products they import from outside the EU and the obligations related to restricted chemicals in articles.

Our Enforcement Forum will coordinate this EU-wide enforcement project (REF-12) on imported substances, mixtures and articles that is aligned with the priorities of EU’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. The checks will be carried out during 2024 and the results will be reported in 2025.

Occupational exposure limits

Reminder: consultation on Bisphenol A

We are looking for comments on the scientific report for occupational exposure limits on 4,4-Isopropylidenediphenol (Bisphenol A).

Have your say until 19 February 2024.

Board of Appeal

Announcement of appeal

The Board of Appeal has published an announcement in case A-012-2023 concerning a substance evaluation decision.

Court judgments

Court dismisses action against refusal to
re-examine the Candidate List entry of phenanthrene

The General Court dismisses the case T-121/23 as inadmissible.

The Court confirms that the letter of the European Commission refusing to re-examine the Candidate List entry of phenanthrene as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) is an act that cannot be challenged before the Court.

Similarly, ECHA's scientific report prepared at the request of the Commission under Article 77(1) of REACH is an act that cannot be challenged.

ECHA

We welcome new accredited stakeholders

We have four new accredited stakeholder organisations:

• TIC Council (Testing, inspection and certification association) 
• Bromine Science and Environmental Forum AISBL
• The Federation of European Rigid Polyurethane Foam Associations (PU)
• European Fishing Tackle & Trade Association (EFTTA)

Others

Summary of December REACH Committee meeting available

The European Commission has published the summary of the REACH Committee meeting that took place on 14 December 2023.