Regulation
1 December 2019
Amendments to the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation apply. EU Regulations 2018/669/EU and 2018/1480/EU provide for the translation of the names of substances listed under the EU CLP regime into each of the EU languages in which the regulation has been published. Suppliers should have adapted their labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures and sold off existing stocks. Labels of a substance or mixture must now be written in the official language of the member state where it is placed on the market, following the translated chemical names in the list.
21 December 2019
Transposition deadline for EU Directive 2017/2108/EU amending the EU Passenger Ship Safety Directive. The amendments exclude a number of specific ship types, particularly tenders, sailing ships and ships transporting, for example, to offshore installations, as well as updating definitions and references to align with related EU and international rules.
31 December 2019
Restriction of hazardous substances exemptions expire for:
- lead enabling vacuum tight connections between aluminium and steel in X-ray image intensifiers;
- lead in solders on printed circuit boards of detectors and data acquisition units for PET that are integrated into MRI equipment
- lead in solder in one interface of large area stacked die elements (SDE)
- hexavalent chromium in alkali dispensers used to create photocathodes in X-ray image intensifiers and in spare parts for X-ray systems
- cadmium used in phosphor coatings in image intensifiers for X-ray images and in spare parts for X-ray systems
31 December 2019
Deadline for the transposition of the recast EU Electricity Directive into member state law.
31 December 2019
Deadline by which member states must withdraw authorisations for plant protection products (PPPs) containing the active substance dimethoate, as it is no longer authorised under the EU Plant Protection Products Regulation. Any grace period granted for the application of dimethoate-containing PPPs on cherries already expired by 30 September 2019 at the latest.
Consultations & policy
6 December 2019
European Commission Directorate-General for the Environment consultation on the restriction of hazardous substances in electronic products under the EU Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive.
13 December 2019
ECHA consultation on updating the list of harmonised classifications under the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation closes. Proposals relate to the amendment of the entry for barium diboron tetraoxide, in relation to acute toxicity and reproductive toxicity, and the addition of entries for Disperse Blue 124 and theophylline, due to concerns about skin sensitisation and reproductive toxicity respectively.
19 December 2019
ECHA REACH restriction consultation closes: final deadline for comments on ECHA restriction reports on perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid, its salts and related substances, and on skin sensitising substances; deadline for comments on SEAC draft opinion on the proposed restriction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons under REACH.
22 December 2019
ECHA consultation on identifying creosote (in relation to its use as a wood preservative) as an active substance for substitution under the EU Biocidal Products Regulation closes. Creosote is identified as potential carcinogenic (Category 1B), toxic for reproduction (Category 1B and 2), and as a substance containing persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic constituents.