The EU Commission has proposed a one-year postponement of the obligation for importers and downstream users to send information to Poison Centres, when placing mixtures on the market for consumer use.
The new deadline for submission is to accommodate requests from industry and member states. The draft Regulation delays the implementation of Poison Centre Notification requirements, for mixtures placed on the EU market for consumer use, from 1 January 2020 to 1 January 2021.
Workability Concerns
The delay is intended to solve various”workability concerns” related to Annex VIII.
Industry said the deadline was “impossible” to meet and suggested further changes in a document shared at the July meeting of the Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP (Caracal).
The identified issues include:
- the effects of high variability in mixture composition due to the natural origin of components;
- the difficulty of knowing the exact composition of products in cases involving complex supply chains; and
- the impact of multiple suppliers of mixture components with the same technical properties and hazards.
What Next?
The amendment is still at the consultation stage, with a proposed adoption in the 4th quarter of 2019. The European Commission is presently seeking comments on amendments to Annex VIII – the final date to give your opinion is September 17th, 2019.
Although ECHA is intending to move back the notification deadline by one year, the amendment is not yet set in stone. If you have obligations to notify your hazardous mixtures under Annex VIII, we recommend making your submissions as soon as you can. This way, you can rest assured that emergency responders have the necessary information to provide assistance during potential exposure incidents involving your products.
Compliance dates for the other 2 harmonised rules will remain unaffected by the draft regulation.
- for companies marketing substances for professional use: 1 January 2021; and
- for industrial use: 2024.
The European Commission, member states and other stakeholders are expected to continue talks at the next Caracal meeting in November.
Keep Up to Date
See the Echa: Poison centres website for information updates.
Make sure to find out about your obligations and how these could affect your business.
Hibiscus Plc is ready to support you with the production of labels, and authoring of Safety Data Sheets, to allow a smooth transition into compliance for 2020 onwards.