On April 22, 2021 news provider Chemical Watch reported the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) received instructions from the European Commission (EC) including tasks related to revising the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) regulation.
Specifically, the EC asked ECHA to develop criteria for the classification of persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT) and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM) chemicals; endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs); persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) and very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) substances; and the terms terrestrial toxicity, immunotoxicity and (developmental) neurotoxicity. The request is part of the new Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability the EC published late last year (FPF reported).
ECHA is also reported to have been asked to approximate how many chemicals would be labelled under each category and proposing methods to share the toxicity information. According to the Endocrine Society, EDCs alone may contribute to obesity, diabetes, reduced birthweight, reduced semen quality, and breast cancer, among other conditions (FPF reported). Other potential hazard labels ECHA may group chemicals under include ‘organ toxicity’ and ‘respiratory sensitizing properties’.
Chemical Watch stated that EC officials noted in their letter to ECHA the actual legal text revision may have to wait until 2022, but the Commission would like ECHA to prepare the revised content before the end of 2021.
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Chemical Watch (April 22, 2021). “Chemicals strategy: European Commission sets urgent tasks for Echa.”
EC (December 2020). “Second Annual Forum on Endocrine Disruptors.”
