Following the feedback period after the draft Delegated Act, the European Commission has published its proposal for a revised Regulation on the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals (CLP). A Delegated Act means that the proposal passes from the Commission to the Parliament and Council to be accepted or rejected without amendments.

The proposal introduces hazard classes for endocrine disrupters and other chemical substances that are persistent, toxic, biocumulative and mobile.

The harmonised classification of hazardous chemicals as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) based on the new hazard classes (PBT, vPvB, ED, PMT and vPvM) is the first step to taking preventive measures under REACH and other sectoral legislation to eventually restrict/phase out their use and thus protecting our health and the water resources.

The new rules for classification labelling and packaging will improve the communication on chemical hazards in the supply chain for industries, workers, consumers, authorities and water operators. Consumers will also benefit in the long run, as water operators will have less cause for the use of costly treatment processes to remove them, considering that many PMT and vPvM substances are only partly removed by waste water treatment processes and can even break through the most advanced purification processes at drinking water treatment facilities.

We welcome the Commission’s proposal. We now need solid action such as the extension of the generic approach to risk management to all these new hazard classes, in particular to persistent and mobile substances, under REACH to phase out these harmful chemicals.

Read more from EurEau:

Briefing note on sludge and the circular economy - the impact of PFAS

Position paper on PFAS in the urban water cycle (2022 update)

Briefing note on drinking water and PFAS

Briefing note on waste water and PFAS

For more information from the EU:

Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability

Proposal for a revision of the Regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP)

Delegated Act establishing new hazard classes

Questions & Answers on the revision of the CLP