Council and Parliament strike deal on the regulation of chemicals

The Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the regulation for the classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP regulation).

This regulation updates the existing 2008 EU legislation and aims to clarify the rules on labelling chemical substances and the required information for chemicals sold online.

The provisional agreement adapts the CLP regulation to different forms of trade (such as online trade or trade in refill products), promotes the circularity of the chemical products, makes labels clearer and easier to understand (including digital labelling), and ensures a high level of protection against chemical hazards.


The revision of the CLP regulation will bring digital and circular economy to the chemicals sector. With the new rules consumers will have all the necessary information both in paper and digital format, regardless of whether they buy them in shops, in bulk or online.

Jordi Hereu i Boher, Spanish Minister for Industry and Tourism

Clearer information on chemical hazards

The popularising of new commercial trends (such as online shopping, or re-use of containers to buy in bulk) together with the emergence of new hazards linked to the use of chemical products (e.g. the presence of endocrine disruptors or the long life of certain substances) required an update to the existing 2008 regulation. The proposed regulation is aimed at increasing protection of human health and the environment coupled with easier access to up-to-date information on chemicals hazards and simplified labelling rules. The proposed regulation also introduces other measures, including:

  • better and faster processes for all actors to provide information on hazards of chemicals placed on the EU market
  • communication of chemical hazards, including online, through simpler and clearer labelling and advertising requirements (i.e. a minimal font size for labels of chemicals)
  • new powers for the Commission (in addition to member states and industry) to accelerate the procedure for identifying hazardous substances and make the necessary classification proposals
  • specific rules for refillable chemical products, so consumers can safely buy and use chemical products, such as home care chemicals, sold in bulk

Main elements of the agreement

For substances with more-than-one constituent (MOCS) the provisional agreement includes a 5 year derogation for MOCS of plant or plant parts which are not chemically modified. After this time, the Commission may propose new legislation for those products based on scientific report. Other MOCS, like petrochemicals, will be under the scope of the regulation.

The provisional agreement reached today by the co-legislators, sets out the scope of the regulation for harmonised classification of substances in all physical states. The compromise clarifies that the regulation also applies to online sales, including purchases in digital marketplaces.

The compromise text requires that most chemical products bear a physical label while the digital label may also be an option for suppliers. It also introduces measures to make the labels clearer and easier to read in particular for people with sight difficulties. For certain products, the supplier can provide digital-only data, although a consumer can always request a physical copy of the product information.

For products purchased in refill stations, the provisional agreement aims to reduce the associated risks (overfilling, contamination, operation by children, etc.).

Finally, the provisional agreement aligns different provisions concerning new hazard classes to avoid duplication with ongoing assessments that are currently conducted under different legislation.

Background

The revision of the CLP, alongside the planned revision of the REACH Regulation, is an important element of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, which is a key building block of the European Green Deal. The Commission proposal was presented on 19 December 2022 and the Council reached mandate to start negotiations with European Parliament on 30 June 2023.

Next steps

The provisional agreement reached with the European Parliament now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions.