The Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, also known as the CLP Regulation, requires companies to classify, label and package their hazardous chemicals appropriately before placing them on the EU market to protect health and the environment but also to ensure free movement of substances, mixtures and article.

In this episode, the host Päivi Jokiniemi and the head of ECHA’s Hazard classification unit, Paul Ryan, talk about the amendment that introduced new hazard classes to the regulation – these entered into force in April 2023.

They will also discuss the ongoing CLP revision that is one of the key deliverables of the European Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. While it aims to update and optimise the regulation by ensuring that dangerous chemicals are properly identified, labelled and classified, it is also an important element in Europe’s move towards a toxic free environment.

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• New hazard classes 2023

• Existing guidance for CLP

• ECHA-EFSA guidance on endocrine disruption

• REACH guidance: Information Requirements and Chemical Safety Assessment – chapter R.11: PBT/vPvB assessment

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

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Welcome to this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, where we look into the EU indicator framework for chemicals, focused on improving chemical safety across Europe.

The transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas, while in others, it is just beginning. This is the finding of a first, joint Europe-wide assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The benchmarking found that more work is still needed to reduce the impact of harmful substances on human health and the environment. 

We are joined by Leena Ylä-Mononen, the Executive Director of EEA and Sharon McGuinness, the Executive Director of ECHA. Together, they discuss the roles their agencies play in developing these indicators. This episode offers an in-depth look at how these agencies work together to support safer chemical management, highlighting the real-world impact of their work on environmental and public health.

We'll explore the challenges faced during the project, the collaboration between various European institutions, and what future developments we might expect in the realm of chemical safety.

Background

According to the joint EEA-ECHA synthesis report on the EU indicator framework for chemicals, the overall use of the most harmful chemicals (in particular those that are carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) is still growing but more slowly than the overall chemicals market growth. Pressure is increasing to avoid the use of so-called substances of concern and to implement the principles of the safe and sustainable by design framework. 

There is a need to more effectively ensure that consumer products do not contain the most harmful substances, for example chemicals that are endocrine disrupting, that negatively affect the hormone system, or substances that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic, which present a risk for years to come even after their use has ceased.

More data and information are needed to better understand human and environmental exposure to those most harmful chemicals and their impacts. Still, the indicators show clearly that the shift to safe and sustainable chemicals must continue and should even be accelerated.

Listen to our episode for a deep dive into what the main findings of this initial assessment were and check the online dashboard for more details.

Useful links

• EU Agencies: more work needed to make chemicals safe and sustainable  - ECHA news, 17 April 2024

• Joint EEA-ECHA synthesis report

• Online dashboard

• Give us feedback
  

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

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This episode of the Safer Chemicals podcast, hosted by Adam Elwan from ECHA, dives into the work of the committees' work on the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Europe.

Adam is joined by Roberto Scazzola and Maria Ottati, chairs of ECHA's Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis committees as they discuss the first steps of forming scientific opinions on the restriction proposal.

The episode also touches on the committees' work on other areas, such as the harmonised classification of lithium salts and the use of chromium VI compounds in key industries.

Listeners will come away with a clearer understanding of the importance of scientific and technical robustness in the committee's work, and the Agency's commitment to ensuring chemical safety in the EU.

Useful links

• Episode transcript

• More episodes on the committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis

• Give us feedback

More

• March RAC and SEAC meeting highlights - ECHA news, 20 March 2024

• Agenda of RAC’s meeting [PDF] [EN]

• Agenda of SEAC’s meeting [PDF] [EN]

• REACH restriction process

• Harmonised classification and labelling

• Risk Assessment Committee

• Socio-Economic Analysis Committee

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

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