Updated Guidance on applying CLP Criteria

ECHA/NA/12/14
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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published an updated version of the Guidance on the Application of the CLP Criteria following the conclusion of the consultation process. In parallel, ECHA has released a report on a workshop concerning the validity of the concept of "rapid removal" for aquatic environmental long-term hazard classification of metals and inorganic metal compounds.

Helsinki, 27 April 2012 - The ECHA Guidance on the Application of the CLP Criteria, originally published in 2009, needed updating of its environmental criteria chapters to take into account the Second Adaptation to Technical Progress (ATP) amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation).

Accordingly, ECHA prepared a draft for the revised Part 1 (General principles for classification), Part 4 (Environmental hazards) and for all Annexes of the Guidance. A full consultation with ECHA partners on the above mentioned parts and Annexes took place during 2011-2012. The content and structure were throroughly revised and amended to align with the second ATP to the CLP Regulation. This re-structuring involved the addition of a new Part 5 (Additional Hazards) as well as improvement or replacement of some of the classification examples.

During the consultation on the Guidance, the need for further discussion on the validity of the concept of "rapid removal" for aquatic environmental classification of metals and inorganic metal compounds under the CLP Regulation was identified. ECHA organised a workshop on this topic on 8 February 2012. Following the Workshop, it was decided that references to the concept of "rapid removal" from Annex IV (Metals and Inorganic Metal Compounds) of the Guidance should be removed for the time being, and that further expert discussions on this particular concept should be initiated. The report of that Workshop is now available for the public.