Chemicals | Monthly bulletin | April 2020

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Europe

Open consultation regarding new POP proposals

Comments are welcomed, until 15^th April 2020, in relation to the draft risk profiles of the following substances, proposed to be listed as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) under the Stockholm Convention:

Methoxychlor (EC 200-779-9, CAS 72-43-5)
Dechlorane Plus and its syn- and anti-isomers (EC -, CAS -)

For more information, please consult the ECHA’s website here.

New Circular Economy Action Plan

On 11^th March 2020, the European Commission published the new Circular Economy Action Plan to work towards a cleaner and more competitive Europe. The plan presents a set of interrelated initiatives to establish strong and coherent product policy. Further measures will be put in place to reduce waste and ensure that the EU has a well-functioning internal market for high quality secondary raw materials. The EU’s capacity to take responsibility for its waste will be also strengthened. This document is addressed to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

To read the full official publication, please visit the European Commission website here.

New Amendments to RoHS

On 5^th March 2020, the European Commission published the following amendments to Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) as below:

Reference	Title
C/2019/8996	Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2020/362 of 17 December 2019 amending Annex II to Directive 2000/53/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on end-of-life vehicles as regards the exemption for hexavalent chromium as anti-corrosion agent of the carbon steel cooling system in absorption refrigerators in motor caravans
C/2019/9061	Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2020/360 of 17 December 2019 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex IV to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for lead in platinized platinum electrodes used for certain conductivity measurements
C/2019/9066	Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2020/365 of 17 December 2019 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for lead in solders and termination finishes used in certain hand-held combustion engines
C/2019/9069	Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2020/366 of 17 December 2019 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex IV to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for lead as a thermal stabiliser in polyvinyl chloride used in certain in-vitro diagnostic medical devices for the analysis of blood and other body fluids and body gases
C/2019/9071	Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2020/364 of 17 December 2019 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex IV to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for the use of cadmium in certain radiation tolerant video camera tubes
C/2019/9099	Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2020/361 of 17 December 2019 amending, for the purposes of adapting to scientific and technical progress, Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards an exemption for hexavalent chromium as an anticorrosion agent of the carbon steel cooling system in absorption refrigerators

Recent Updates Regarding REACH

The below table showcases a summary of the most recent updates (non-exhaustive) regarding REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006:

Summary of the Most Recent Updates
Date	Subject	Link
17-02-2020	ECHA has informed that the SCIP data base prototype is now available and companies can begin to test the platform and trial how to send their SCIP notifications SCIP is the database for information on substances of great concern (SVHC) in articles established under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) In late 2020, the final database will be released and as of 5 January 2021, companies placing items on the EU market will be required to send SCIP notifications to ECHA if the items they place on the EU market contain substances of very high concern (SVHC) in concentrations greater than 0.1% by weight	More information about the SCIP database prototype can be found on the ECHA’s website here
19-02-2020	New substance evaluation conclusion published: Medium-chain chlorinated paraffins/alkanes, C14-17, chloro (EC 287-477-0, CAS 85535-85-9)	For more information regarding Substance evaluation, visit the CoRAP website here
21-02-2020	COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No …/.. amending Annex XIV to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) C/2020/0235 final	The official publication can be found here
24-02-2020	Reminder: Since 1 January 2020, companies must have REACH registration to manufacture or import nanoforms of substances	For more information consult ECHA’s website here
26-02-2020	Publication of the following document: Estimating the number and types of applications for 11 substances added to the Authorisation List in February 2020	For more information consult ECHA’s website here
04-03-2020	Five proposals to identify new substances of very high concern (SVHCs): 1-vinylimidazole (EC 214-012-0, CAS 1072-63-5) 2-methylimidazole (EC 211-765-7, CAS 693-98-1) Dibutylbis(pentane-2,4-dionato-O,O')tin (EC 245-152-0, CAS 22673-19-4) Butyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (EC 202-318-7, CAS 94-26-8) Resorcinol (EC 203-585-2, CAS 108-46-3) The deadline for comments is 17^th April 2020	For more information consult ECHA’s website here
04-03-2020	Publication of the following guide: Describing uses of additives in plastic material for articles and estimating related exposure Practical Guide for Industry	To view the official publication please visit the ECHA’s website here
04-03-2020	Adopted opinions and previous consultations on applications for authorisation of the following substance: Sodium dichromate (EC 234-190-3, CAS 10588-01-9, 7789-12-0)	For further information please consult the ECHA’s website here
05-03-2020	Draft recommendation for inclusion in the Authorisation List and consultation of the following substances: Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) (EC 209-136-7, CAS 556-67-2), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) (EC 208-764-9, CAS 541-02-6), dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6) (EC 208-762-8, CAS 540-97-6) Terphenyl, hydrogenated (EC 262-967-7, CAS 61788-32-7) Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP) (EC 201-545-9, CAS 84-61-7) Disodium octaborate (EC 234-541-0, CAS 12008-41-2) Benzene-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid 1,2-anhydride (trimellitic anhydride; TMA) (EC 209-008-0, CAS 552-30-7) The deadline for comments is 5^th June 2020	For further information please consult the ECHA’s website here

Recent Updates Regarding CLP

The below table includes a summary of the most recent updates (non-exhaustive) regarding CLP Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008:

Summary of the Most Recent Update
Date	Subject	Link
19-02-2020	Intended proposal to harmonise the classification and labelling of: Acetone oxime (EC 204-820-1, CAS 127-06-0) 2-(dimethylamino)-2-[(4-methylphenyl)methyl]-1-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]butan-1-one (EC 438-340-0, CAS 119344-86-4) 1,4-dichloro-2-nitrobenzene (EC 201-923-3, CAS 89-61-2) Trimethyl borate (EC 204-468-9, CAS 121-43-7) Barium chromate (EC 233-660-5, CAS 10294-40-3) Picolinafen (EC 604-030-0, CAS 137641-05-5) A proposal has been submitted for: Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated (with average molecular weight < 352 g/mol) (EC -, CAS -) Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated (with 352 g/mol ≤ average molecular weight < 704 g/mol) (EC -, CAS -) Nonylphenol, branched and linear, ethoxylated (with 704 g/mol ≤ average molecular weight < 1 540 g/mol) (EC -, CAS -)	Registry of CLH intentions until outcome can be viewed here
19-02-2020	Ad hoc consultation on harmonised classification and labelling of: Methyl methacrylate methyl 2-methylprop-2-enoate methyl 2-methylpropenoate (EC 201-297-1, CAS 80-62-6) The deadline for comments is 27^th February 2020	Harmonised classification and labelling targeted consultations can be viewed here
26-02-2020	Harmonised classification and labelling consultations of: Ethyl acrylate (EC 205-438-8, CAS 140-88-5) Methyl acrylate; methyl propenoate (EC 202-500-6; CAS 96-33-3) Allyl methacrylate; 2-methyl-2-propenoic acid 2-propenyl ester (EC 202-473-0, CAS 96-05-9) 6-[C12-18-alkyl-(branched, unsaturated)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]hexanoic acid, sodium and tris(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium salts (EC 701-271-4, CAS -) 6-[C12-18-alkyl-(branched, unsaturated)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]hexanoic acid (EC 701-162-1, CAS -) 6-[(C10-C13)-alkyl-(branched, unsaturated)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]hexanoic acid (EC 701-118-1; CAS 2156592-54-8) The deadline for comments is 24^th April 2020 4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol; bisphenol AF (EC 216-036-7, CAS 1478-61-1) Benzyl(diethylamino)diphenylphosphonium 4-[1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-yl]phenolate (EC 479-100-5, CAS 577705-90-9) Benzyltriphenylphosphonium, salt with 4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]bis[phenol] (1:1) (EC 278-305-5, CAS 75768-65-9) Reaction mass of 4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol and benzyl(diethylamino)diphenylphosphonium 4-[1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propan-2-yl]phenolate (1:1) (EC -, CAS -) Reaction mass of 4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]diphenol and benzyltriphenylphosphonium, salt with 4,4'-[2,2,2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)ethylidene]bis[phenol] (1:1) (EC -, CAS -) 3,3'-dimethylbiphenyl-4,4'-diyl diisocyanate; [TODI] (EC 202-112-7, CAS 91-97-4) The deadline for comments is 8^th May 2020	Harmonised classification and labelling consultations can be viewed here

Canada

Public Consultation on Parabens

On 14^th March 2020, the draft screening assessment for Parabens group was published in Canada Gazette, Part I, and will be open for public comment for 60 days, until May 13, 2020. The final screening assessment and risk management approach will take into consideration any comments and new evidence received during the consultation period.

For more information, please consult the Health Canada website here.

International

Regulatory proposals notified to WTO

Please see below a table summarising the most recent notifications made to the World Trade Organization (non-exhaustive):

Notification number / Link	Country	Title
G/TBT/N/AUS/116	Australia	Draft legislation to establish the National Standard for Environmental Risk Management of Industrial Chemicals The National Standard has been developed by all Australian governments to efficiently and effectively manage the impacts of industrial chemicals on the environment. The Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management Register is a legislative instrument that will record decisions on environmental management of chemicals, including assigning risk management measures for particular industrial uses, which will be implemented by the Commonwealth and each state and territory
G/TBT/N/BRA/968	Brazil	Draft Resolution 776 of 7 February 2020 This draft resolution establishes the regulation with technical requirements for market authorisation, modifications and classification of sanitising products, according to their potential risk to the health
G/TBT/N/IND/141	India	Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate (Quality Control) Order, 2020 Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate is a powerful reducing agent. It has extensive applications in the textile industry for printing and stripping dyed textiles prior to redying and discharge printing between applications. The standard of the product stipulates minimum purity and maximum permissible content of heavy metals like lead, iron, copper and zinc etc. The locally manufactured or imported Sodium Formaldehyde Sulphoxylate must conform with the Indian standard (IS 4505: 2015) and shall bear the standard mark under license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
G/TBT/N/IND/142	India	Barium Carbonate (Quality Control) Order, 2020 Barium Carbonate is one of the most important raw material widely used in the manufacture of different types of ceramic dielectric capacitors for high frequency application and for hard ferrites between other applications. The standards prescribe minimum content of Barium and Carbonate, besides impurity profiles. The locally manufactured or imported Barium Carbonate shall conform with the Indian standard (IS 3205:1984, reaffirmed 2015 and IS 12928: 1990, reaffirmed 2017) and shall bear the standard mark under license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
G/TBT/N/IND/144	India	Sodium Tripolyphosphate (Quality Control) Order, 2020 Sodium Tripolyphosphate is added, along with other sodium polyphosphates, to processed cheeses as an emulsifier. It is also used in the manufacture of detergent, water treatment chemical, purification china clay, conditioning of oil drilling mud, in paper making and textile processing etc. The locally manufactured or imported Sodium Tripolyphosphate shall conform with the Indian standard (IS 6100: 1984) and shall bear the standard mark under license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
G/TBT/N/NZL/98	New Zealand	New chemicals under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants: Consultation document Proposed changes to the current regulatory requirements to: Provide for the prohibition of use and production of two persistent organic pollutants (POPs) newly listed in the Annex of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants to meet obligations under the Stockholm Convention Provide for the continued use of manufactured articles containing PFOA, related salts and PFOA related compounds that are already in use in New Zealand
G/TBT/N/USA/1588	US	Consumer Products Proposed rule - Aims to reduce volatile organic compound emissions from consumer products - products which are used in the average household

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