Non-food legislation – January 2025
Hazardous substances – Global and EU rules and regulations
Every two years, the transport regulations for the transport of dangerous goods via the various modalities are updated. As of 1 January 2025, the 2025 editions of the ADR, the ADN and the RID are applicable. EU: ECHA has added five chemicals to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) and updated one entry. The list now contains 247 entries for chemicals that can harm people or the environment. ECHA reports that the updated Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation started to apply on 10 December 2024. Among other things, it provides for clearer labelling of hazardous chemicals (including digital labels). The revised Regulation also defines a new role for distributors in poison centre notifications. ECHA reports that the EC has added 40 new chemicals to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation. Under PIC, the EU has to provide export notifications to the authorities of the different countries. They contain information on where hazardous chemicals listed under PIC are exported, for what uses, and give information on their hazardous properties. This includes how to safely store, transport, use and dispose of them. ECHA’s annual report (1.6 MB) shows that substances containing benzene dominated the trade under PIC in 2023. ECHA (93 kB) has announced that 28 substances have been proposed for evaluation under the REACH Community rolling action plan (CoRAP) for the years 2025-2027.
Hazardous substances – Rules and regulations in different countries
Japan: SGS reports that the government has specified the list of PFOA-related compounds in relation to Class I Specified Substances. SGS also reports that three POP chemicals have been added to this list. NL: PGS (in Dutch) has published the final draft (in Dutch) of the renewed guideline PGS 15 for the storage of packaged hazardous substances. US: EPA has designated five chemicals, including vinyl chloride, as High-Priority Substances for risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA has also initiated a process to prioritise styrene and four other chemicals for risk evaluation under the TSCA. California: The OEHHA has added vinyl acetate as a carcinogen to the Proposition 65 list. Prop 65 is a right-to-know law that requires individuals to receive a clear and reasonable warning before being exposed to certain chemicals. Keller and Heckman reports that OEHHA has also approved Prop 65 regulations (226 kB). The most significant change is that short-form warnings would be required to name at least one Prop 65-listed chemical per endpoint.
Other rules and regulations
EU: Applicable from the 13 December 2024, the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) replaces Directive 2001/95/EC. The EC reports on several important changes with the aim of improving product safety standards across the EU. The EC has also published FAQ. Finland: Draft legislation on warning labels required for unit packets of smokeless nicotine products has been sent to the EC.
Research
Nations must start testing and regulating chemicals and chemical products as closely as the current systems that safeguard prescription drugs or risk rising rates of chronic illnesses among children, according to a report by Boston College researchers and an international team of experts.
Scientists from Tongji University have found microplastics in maternal blood, foetal appendages and umbilical vein blood. The study (2.38 MB) is published in Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety.
An assessment by EEA shows that most water bodies in Europe are polluted with PFAS.
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