ECHA’s committees conclude on five restrictions

ECHA/NR/20/09

Corrigenda 18 March 2020:  RAC's and SEAC's opinions on formaldehyde clarified. 19 March 2020: Nr of agreed draft opinions of RAC on applications for authorisation clarified.

The Committee for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) adopted its opinion on the restriction proposal for siloxanes (D4, D5, D6) in personal care products while the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) adopted its opinion, among others, on skin sensitising substances used in textile and leather products.

Helsinki, 16 March 2020 – SEAC adopted its final opinion supporting ECHA’s proposal to restrict the placing on the market of D4, D5 and D6 as substances, as contituents of other substances, or in mixtures in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.1 % weight by weight of each substance. This proposal covers both leave-on personal care products (D4, D5 and D6) and other consumer or professional products as well as wash-off personal care products (D6).

SEAC also agreed on its draft opinion on ECHA’s proposal to restrict the placing on the market, manufacture and use of five cobalt salts as substances on their own or in mixtures in a concentration equal or above 0.01 % by weight in industrial and professional applications. RAC adopted its opinion on this restriction proposal by written procedure in February 2020.

RAC adopted its opinion on France and Sweden’s proposal to restrict skin sensitising substances in finished textile, leather, hide and fur articles, placed on the market for the first time. Agreement on the SEAC draft opinion is postponed until June 2020.

RAC and SEAC supported Norway’s proposal to restrict the manufacture or placing on the market of PFHxS (linear or branched), its salts or related substances and as a constituent of another substance, in a mixture or in articles.

Furthermore, SEAC supported ECHA’s proposal to restrict the placing on the market of articles releasing formaldehyde at concentrations greater than 0.124 mg/m³ and that a formaldehyde concentration of 0.1 mg/m³ shall not be exceeded in the interiors of road vehicles and aircraft. RAC’s opinion supported the proposal but included several proposed modifications to its scope and conditions.

Consultations on the agreed SEAC opinions (cobalt salts, PFHxS and formaldehyde) will begin soon and the committee is expected to adopt its opinions at its June 2020 meeting.

The committees did not reach agreement on ECHA’s proposed restriction of intentionally-added microplastics and will continue discussions in June.

Applications for authorisation

RAC and SEAC adopted two opinions on applications for authorisation on one use of chromium trioxide and one use of octylphenol ethoxylates. In addition, RAC agreed on 16 draft opinions on applications for authorisation of uses of octyl- and nonylphenol ethoxylates; pitch, coal tar, high temperature; anthracene oil and chromium trioxide, reaching provisional agreement on 21 further uses, which will now go to written procedure.

SEAC agreed on 27 draft opinions on uses of octyl- and nonylphenol ethoxylates and pitch, coal tar, high temperature. Furthermore, RAC discussed key issues in 10 applications for authorisation, which were received by ECHA in November 2019. More information about the opinions is available in the annex.