Chemicals: Council adopts regulation on classification

The Council has adopted a regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances (CLP).

This is the last step in the decision-making procedure.

The CLP regulation updates the existing 2008 EU legislation, clarifies the rules on labelling chemical substances, and adapts them to different forms of trade (such as online trade or bulk sales at refill stations). The regulation also promotes the circularity of chemical products, makes labelling (including digital labelling) clearer and easier to read, and ensures a higher level of protection against chemical hazards.

Protection adapted to take account of new hazards

The risks associated with chemical products requires specific legislation for their classification, labelling and packaging. The 2008 CLP regulation was insufficiently adapted to the emergence of new hazards (e.g., the presence of endocrine disruptors or the long-life effect of certain substances), new trends in digital and circular economy sales, such as online shopping or bulk purchasing, and digital labelling.

The newly adopted revision of the CLP regulation facilitates the reporting on new hazards related to chemicals that are placed on the market and gives the Commission and the other stakeholders new powers to classify harmful substances and accelerate their identification. It also codifies the requirements for a voluntary digital labelling. The new regulation introduces specific rules at the refill stations for chemical products.

The regulation will apply to all solid-state chemicals, although there will be a five-year derogation for substances with more than one constituent (MOCS) of botanical origin which have not been chemically modified. Once that period expires, the Commission can propose new legislation based on latest scientific knowledge.

Next steps

Following the Council's approval today, the legislative act has been adopted.

After the signing of the act by the President of the European Parliament and the President of the Council, the new CLP regulation will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and will enter into force three days later.

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 concluded a mandate to launch negotiations with the European Parliament on 30 June 2023. Both co‑legislators reached a provisional agreement on 5 December 2023. Since then, the provisional agreement followed the corrigenda procedure during the EU elections. It has finally been adopted at first reading.