News

What do EU citizens think about nanomaterials?

A recent survey carried out in five selected EU countries shows that citizens demand better labelling of everyday products containing nanomaterials and increased awareness of the risks and benefits of products containing nanomaterials.

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REACH

Consultations launched for applications for authorisation and review reports

We have launched consultations on six applications for authorisation and three review reports covering 12 uses of:

chromium VI compounds used for passivation of electrolytic tinplate (ETP); etching and electroplating; and in functional chrome plating;
sodium dichromate (EC 234-190-3, CAS 10588-01-9, 7789-12-0) used as mordant in wool dyeing with dark colours;
1,2-dichloroethane (EDC) (EC 203-458-1, CAS 107-06-2) used as a swelling agent during the sulphonation reaction of polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer beads in the manufacturing of strong acid cation exchange resins; as a solvent for the synthesis of polyepichlorohydrin used as a precursor in the production of glycidyl azide polymer;
4,4'-methylenebis[2-chloroaniline] (EC 202-918-9, CAS 101-14-4) used in the manufacture of high-performance polyurethanes specifically for custom-made rollers with high reliability requirements;
4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol, ethoxylated (EC -, CAS -) used in aqueous buffers during the manufacturing process of the active pharmaceutical ingredient of the veterinary vaccine.

More information about the uses that authorisation is applied for, including the description of the function of the substance, exposure scenarios, possible alternatives identified by the applicants, together with socio-economic information, is available online.

The deadline for comments is 13 January 2021.

Give comments

Call for evidence on the restriction of bisphenol A - background information updated

The German authorities are collecting information and evidence to prepare an Annex XV restriction report concerning 4,4’-isopropylidenediphenol (bisphenol A) and structurally related bisphenols of similar concern for the environment.

They have updated the background document to the call for evidence and modified one of the specific information requests. Respondents should refer to the revised documentation to ensure that they provide all requested information.

This call for evidence consultation is open until 15 January 2021.

Current calls for comments and evidence

Submission of DMAC and NEP restriction proposal postponed

The submission of the Annex XV restriction report on N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) (EC 204-826-4, CAS 127-19-5) and 1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-one (NEP) (EC 220-250-6, CAS 2687-91-4) by the Netherlands is postponed to 1 October 2021.

Registry of restriction intentions

New intention to identify a substance of very high concern

An intention has been received for 2-(4-tert-butylbenzyl)propionaldehyde and its individual stereoisomers (EC -; CAS -).

Registry of SVHC intentions until outcome

New substance evaluation conclusion published

A new evaluation conclusion document is now available on our website for vinyl acetate (EC 203-545-4, CAS 108-05-4), added to the CoRAP list in 2019 and evaluated by Latvia.

Community rolling action plan | Substance evaluation

CLP

Second amendment of Annex VIII published

The recently published second amendment to Annex VIII to CLP entered into force on 14 November 2020. It addresses concerns raised by industry on the administrative burden for companies while still meeting the information needs of poison centres. The main changes concern reporting on the composition of mixtures, such as fuels and petroleum products, as well as certain construction products which may be highly variable or sometimes unknown.

The updated Guidance on harmonised information relating to emergency health responses, including the second amendment changes to Annex VIII, is currently being prepared.

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Consultation on harmonised classification and labelling

We are looking for comments on the harmonised classification and labelling proposals for:

2,2',6,6'-tetrabromo-4,4'-isopropylidenediphenol; tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBPA) (EC 201-236-9, CAS 79-94-7);
dibutyltin maleate (EC 201-077-5, CAS 78-04-6); and
dibutyltin oxide (EC 212-449-1, CAS 818-08-6).

The deadline for comments is 29 January 2021.

Give comments

New proposals and intentions to harmonise classification and labelling

An intention has been received for dibenzoyl peroxide (EC 202-327-6, CAS 94-36-0).

Two proposals have been submitted:

carfentrazone-ethyl (ISO); ethyl (RS)-2-chloro-3-[2-chloro- 4-fluoro-5-[4-difluoromethyl-4,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]phenyl]propionate (EC 603-291-8, CAS 128639-02-1); and
1,4-benzenediamine, N,N'-mixed Ph and tolyl derivs. (EC 273-227-8, CAS 68953-84-4).

The intention to harmonise the classification and labelling of 3,6,9-trioxaundecamethylene dimethacrylate (EC 203-653-1, CAS 109-17-1) has been withdrawn.

Registry of CLH intentions until outcome

Missed our webinar on poison centres: closing in on the first compliance date?

The webinar gave the latest information and updates, it addressed common IT problems, and presented the support material you need ahead of the upcoming compliance date.

The recording, presentations and questions and answers are now available.

More | Questions & answers

Integrated regulatory strategy

What is ECHA’s integrated regulatory strategy?

Are you interested in learning how substances of concern are identified and how different regulatory actions are integrated? What does ECHA’s mapping of the chemicals universe mean and how do we address groups of substances?

To learn more check out our new infographic and read updated web pages on our work with groups.

Infographic | Working with groups of substances

Biocides

Webinar on IUCLID 6.5 for biocides users

24 November 2020, 12:30 – 13:30 (Helsinki time)

This webinar introduces a new dossier type for technical equivalence and guides you through the format changes and improvement related to biocides, implemented in the IUCLID 6.5 October release.

The webinar will be published on our home page on 24 November 2020 at 12:30 Helsinki time (EET, GMT +2). You can send questions from 12:30 to 14:30 by joining the Q&A session directly or by going to slido.com and entering the event code: iuclidbiocides2020.

Webinar | IUCLID 6

New guidance on data requirements for renewal of approval of active substances

Under the BPR, companies have to submit an application to renew the approval of an active substance at the latest 550 days (approximately 1.5 years) before the initial approval expires. To help companies in fullfilling this legal requirement, we have published guidance on data requirements and on the assessment of applications for renewal.

Guidance

Waste

Get ready to submit your SCIP notification

19 November 2020 11:00 - 15:00 (Helsinki time)

This webinar helps you to get ready for preparing and submitting a SCIP notification. You will get a demo of how to create and submit a notification and get familiar with the tools that can be used to refer to information already successfully submitted to the SCIP database.

The webinar will be published on our home page on 19 November 2020 at 11:00 Helsinki time (EET, GMT +2) together with instructions for joining a live Q&A session where experts from national authorities and ECHA will be answering your questions until 15:00 Helsinki time.

Webinar | SCIP database

Persistent organic pollutants

Updates to our chemicals database

We have further updated our chemicals database - the dissemination platform - it now also integrates persistent organic pollutant (POP) key datasets.

The key datasets available are the list of identified POP substances and a list of substances proposed as POPs. A property of concern for POPs has also been added to the infocards and advanced search.

Information on chemicals | Understanding POPs

Supply chains

A development plan for enhancing safety data sheets

A paper submitted for the November CARACAL meeting on extended safety data sheets is now available. It summarises the status of the technical work under REACH Review Action 3 and asks Member States a few questions in relation the next steps.

REACH Review Action 3

Board of Appeal

New Board of Appeal decision on BPR data-sharing

The Board of Appeal has published a decision on data and cost-sharing under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). This is the second decision taken by the Board of Appeal on the same case: a first decision of ECHA, denying permission to refer to certain studies, was annulled by the Board of Appeal. The case was remitted to ECHA, which issued a second decision again denying permission to refer. This decision was again contested by the prospective applicant.

The Board of Appeal held that ECHA infringed the prospective applicant’s right to be heard because it did not hear its views, before the adoption of the second decision, on the implications of the first decision of the Board of Appeal. The Board of Appeal, therefore, annulled the second ECHA decision.

The Board of Appeal then adopted its own decision. It found that as the prospective applicant has since concluded a data-sharing agreement on the data at issue with the data owner, it can no longer obtain permission to refer under Article 63(3) of the BPR. The Board of Appeal, therefore, rejected the prospective applicant’s application for permission to refer.

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ECHA scientific committees

Committee meetings in December – agendas available

The agendas of the upcoming meetings of ECHA's scientific committees are online:

Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) - meeting virtually on 30 November - 3 December and 7-10 December 2020;
Committe for Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) - meeting virtually on 30 November - 4 December and 8-10 December 2020; and
Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) - meeting virtually on 1-4 December 2020.