Classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures

In December 2022, the European Commission proposed a revision of the Regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, one of the two cornerstones of the EU's framework regulating chemicals. The revision, announced in the EU chemicals strategy for sustainability, notably seeks to identify and classify hazardous chemicals more comprehensively; improve communication on chemical hazards and the notification of relevant information to poison centres for emergency health response; and address online sales more effectively. Industry has expressed particular concern about the proposed rules for classifying multi-constituent substances, grouping substances for harmonised classification and labelling, and label formatting. Non-governmental organisations, mainly supportive of the revision, stress the need to set deadlines, cover further hazards and nanoforms of substances, and do more to limit animal testing. The European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement on the file on 5 December 2023. The agreed text was endorsed by Member State representatives on 22 December 2023 and by the ENVI committee on 11 January 2024. It now awaits formal adoption by the co-legislators. The vote in plenary is scheduled for the second April 2024 session. Third edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.