Council adopts position on the regulation for classification, labelling and packaging of chemical su

The Council has adopted its negotiating position on the proposed regulation for the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals, also known as the CLP regulation.

This proposed regulation updates existing EU legislation and aims at clarifying the rules on classifying and labelling chemical substances and the required information for chemicals sold online.

The Council’s position brings the CLP regulation into line with the different forms of business today (such as online or by refill), makes labels clearer and easier to understand (including digital labelling), and ensures a high level of protection against chemical hazards.

Romina Pourmokhtari, Swedish Minister for Climate and the Environment

We want rules for the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals to be fit for the digital and green transitions, allowing consumers, companies, and workers to purchase and use chemical products in a safer, better informed and more sustainable way. Today’s decision is an important step forward in this direction, and an important milestone in the implementation of the EU chemicals strategy.

Romina Pourmokhtari, Swedish Minister for Climate and the Environment

Clearer information on chemical hazards

The popularisation of new commercial trends (such as online shopping, or the reuse of containers to buy in bulk), together with the emergence of new hazards linked to chemical products (including the presence of endocrine disruptors or the long lifespan of certain substances) required an update of the existing 2008 regulation. The proposed revised regulation’s scope includes greater protection of human health and the environment. The measures it introduces include:

  • better procedures for all actors to provide information on hazards relating to chemicals placed on the EU market
  • the communication of chemical hazards, including online, through simpler and clarified labelling and advertising requirements (e.g., a minimum font size for labels of chemicals and use to be made of fold-out labels)
  • new powers for the Commission (in addition to Member States and industry) to accelerate the procedure of identifying hazardous substances and to make the necessary classification proposals
  • specific rules for refillable chemical products at refill stations 

Council's position

The Council’s negotiating mandate shares the objectives of the regulation but has introduced a number of amendments to improve the clarity and legal certainty of the proposal, in particular:

  • it adjusts the provisions on the form and the design of labels, thereby addressing legibility issues, while taking into consideration concerns about potential burdens on the industry
  • it clarifies the concept and rules for digital labelling
  • since refill sales are a way of reducing packaging waste and of making progress towards a circular economy, the Council’s negotiating mandate strikes a balance between promoting refilling and reducing the risks linked to it
  • concerning new ways of doing business, such as online sales, the Council position further clarifies the Commission’s proposal, on issues such as the labelling and information to be provided for chemical products sold at distance (including on-line)
  • as regards the classification provisions for chemical substances with more than one constituent (MOCS), the Council position calls on the Commission to prepare a report, four years after the entry into force of the CLP regulation. This report may be accompanied by a new legislative proposal for these substances
  • it amends the provisions concerning new hazard classes to avoid duplication with ongoing assessments that are currently conducted under different legislations