EU Approves Global Rules for Labeling of Chemicals

December 2, 2008 // Published as a news service by IHS

The European Parliament approved a compromise package supporting the GHS on Sept. 3, 2008. The next step will be the new regulation's publication in the Official Journal, thereby making the EU one of the international leaders in the actual uptake of the GHS.

After a transitional period, the new regulation will replace the current rules on classification, labeling and packaging of substances (Directive 67/548/EEC) and mixtures (Directive 1999/45/EC).

After entry into force, the deadline for substance classification according to the new rules will be Dec. 1, 2010 and for mixtures June 1, 2015.

The new regulation will complement the 2007 regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

This new system will ensure that the same hazards will be described and labeled in the same way all around the world. Use of the internationally agreed upon classification criteria and labeling elements is expected to facilitate trade and contribute towards global efforts to protect humans and the environment from hazardous effects of chemicals.

"In a global world, we need global rules. This agreement helps to remove trade barriers and enterprises will save costs. This kind of regulation at UN level will be a great help to European industry," said Günter Verheugen, EC vice president responsible for enterprise and industry.

Stavros Dimas, EC environment commissioner, said, "The use of the same pictograms and phrases to describe the same hazards throughout the world will benefit the protection of workers, consumers and the environment."

Chemicals are manufactured and traded globally and their hazards are the same around the world. Therefore, the EC contents that the description of hazards should not differ between countries if the product is the same. Enterprises will save costs if they do not have to assess hazard information for their chemicals against different sets of criteria.

The new regulation will require companies to classify, label and package appropriately their hazardous chemicals before placing them on the market. It aims to protect workers, consumers and the environment by means of labeling that reflects possible hazardous effects of the chemical, while also taking over from REACH notification of classifications to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki.

For more information about the new rules, see the EC's web page on REACH and GHS and on the Classification, labeling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures.

Source: European Commission.