EU Harmonizes CLP Regulation with Sixth, Seventh Revisions of UN GHS

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April 1, 2019Scott StephensBlog

The European Commission adopted legislation on 27 March 2019 that updates the EU’s Classification, Labeling and Packaging Regulation (1272/2008/EC) in line with the sixth and seventh revisions of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).

Verisk 3E Analysis

Published in the EU Official Journal on 28 March 2019, Regulation 2019/521/EU introduces an adaptation to technical and scientific progress (ATP), amending a number of technical provisions and criteria on classification, labeling and packaging.

Changes are introduced by the new regulation to the CLP’s annexes: I (Classification and labeling requirements for hazardous substances and mixtures), II (Special rules for packaging and labeling of certain substances and mixtures), III (Hazard statements), IV (Precautionary statements), V (Pictograms) and VI (Harmonized classification and labeling for certain hazardous substances).

Specifically, they include:

  • A new hazard class for desensitized explosives
  • A new hazard category, pyrophoric gases, within the flammable gases hazard class
  • Update to criteria for substances and mixtures which in contact with water emit flammable gases
  • Update to criteria for generic cut-off values
  • General provisions to classify aerosol forms of mixtures
  • Updated definitions and classification criteria as appropriate for the hazard classes:
    • explosives
    • flammable gases
    • flammable liquids
    • flammable solids
    • acute toxicity
    • skin corrosion/irritation
    • serious eye damage/eye irritation
    • respiratory and skin sensitization
    • germ cell mutagenicity
    • carcinogenicity
    • reproductive toxicity
    • specific target organ toxicity
    • aspiration hazard
  • Additions, deletions and changes to hazard and precautionary statements.

Business Impact

Affected stakeholders have until 17 October 2020 to comply with the CLP’s updated provisions, which begin to apply from this date. The amending regulation also stipulates that companies may implement these changes before the date of application, if they choose to do so.








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