ECHA Weekly: Biocides consultations streamlined

ECHA

Recording available: Ask an expert about safe and sustainable chemicals

Watch the recording from the online discussion with experts from ECHA and the European Environment Agency.
They present the findings from the first pan-European assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution and answer questions from the audience.

REACH

New intention to identify a substance of very high concern

One intention has been received for:

Commission adopts EU-wide restriction on cyclosiloxanes

On 16 May 2024, the European Commission adopted a restriction on siloxanes D4, D5 and D6. This measure will protect our environment by reducing up to 90 % of the emissions of these very persistent and very bioaccumulative substances. The restriction will start applying after 6 June 2026.

D4, D5, and D6 are used in various consumer and professional products, including cosmetics, dry cleaning, waxes and washing and cleaning products.

The restriction proposal was prepared by ECHA in January 2019. The scientific committees for Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis supported the proposal in their 2020 opinions.

Commission decisions on applications for authorisation

The European Commission has granted a total of six authorisations for seven uses of Chromium trioxide and one use of Dichromium tris(chromate).

Find the substances and all details on the Commission website.

Correction: Prepare your downstream user notifications in IUCLID as of 30 April 2024

REACH-IT online dossiers have been discontinued. As of 30 April 2024, you need to prepare all new submissions using IUCLID and submit them to us through REACH-IT. A wrong date (31 May 2024) was included in an earlier Weekly bulletin.

Our new video shows how to prepare downstream user notifications of authorised uses in IUCLID using data from ECHA's inventories.

Assessment of regulatory needs report published

Report for the following substance group is now available on our website:

If you have questions or feedback related to the assessment work, you can send them to us using this webform.

CLP

New proposal to harmonise classification and labelling

A proposal has been submitted for:

Biocides

Extension of Review Programme confirmed

The European Commission has published the delegated regulation extending the duration of the Review Programme from 31 December 2024 to 31 December 2030. It enters into force on 11 June 2024.

The Review Programme is the work programme for examining existing biocidal active substances contained in biocidal products.

Occupational exposure limits

Reminder: Consultations on 1,2-Dihydroxybenzene (Pyrocatechol) and Silicon carbide fibres

We are looking for comments on the scientific report for occupational exposure limits on:

Have your say until 3 June 2024.

Board of Appeal

New Board of Appeal decision in biocides data-sharing case

Case A-011-2022 concerned a dispute between a prospective applicant and a data owner over data sharing. The negotiations failed because the data owner demanded compensation for an alleged breach of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR) as a condition for data sharing.

The Board of Appeal held that the BPR only requires a prospective applicant to pay for a share of the actual cost of the data concerned. Damages are not included in this cost. Moreover, the two companies had not agreed to make data sharing conditional on the payment of damages.

Therefore, the Board concluded that ECHA did not err in granting permission to refer to the data, and the appeal was dismissed.

Others

Workshop on battery materials

On 16-17 April 2024, ECHA participated in Eurometaux’s event Exchange & Capacity-building Group on Battery Materials to initiate capacity building in the batteries sector and engage with relevant stakeholders. Further information about the workshop is available on Eurometaux’s REACH Metals portal.

ECHA was assigned new tasks under the Batteries Regulation, adopted in August 2023. We will prepare restriction proposals on substances in batteries, our committees for Risk Assessment and for Socio-Economic Analysis will provide opinions on restrictions and we will support the European Commission in preparing a report on substances of concern in batteries.