On Feb. 20, 2024, the European Commission (EC) published Regulation (EU) 2024/573 of the European Parliament and of the Council of Feb. 7, 2024, on fluorinated greenhouse gasses, amending Directive (EU) 2019/1937 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 517/2014.    The new F-Gas Regulation will enter into force on March 11, 2024, and will expand the list of regulated gas and placing on the market prohibitions for products and equipment.  References: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/573/oj

New proposal for a revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. This proposed regulation would amend Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904, and repeal Directive 94/62/EC.  This proposal is expected to be finalized and entered into force by the end of 2024. The earliest Application Date would be mid-2025.  The main stipulations of this draft regulation are the following: New Stipulations (these were not included by Packaging Waste Directive): All packaging must be designed to be recyclable by 2030 All plastic packaging must include 35% of Post Consumer Recycled Content by 2030 Packaging should have a label on its material composition (42 months after Entry into Force (EiF) The weight and volume of the packaging must be kept as low as possible. The empty space ratio must be minimized CE Marking on the packaging is only for the compliance of the packaged product with its applicable legislation, not the compliance of the packaging with the requirements of the PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation) The following stipulation is already included by the old Packaging Waste Directive : The sum of concentration levels of Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, and Hexavalent Chromium present in packaging or packaging components should not exceed 100 ppm by weight. More details can be found here . References https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/proposal-packaging-and-packaging-waste_en

European Union EC Publishes Draft Amendment to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation to Add New Substance: Methoxychlor The objective of Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 is to protect human health and the environment from Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) by prohibiting, phasing out as soon as possible, or restricting the manufacturing, placing on the market and use of substances subject to the Stockholm Convention on POPs. At the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland on May 30, 2024, the European Commission (EC) published Draft Commission Delegated Regulation  amending Annex I  to the Regulation (EU) 2019/1021  on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)  to include methoxychlor as a substance subject to certain restrictions. The feedback period was until June 27, 2024.  Find more details here . References https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/13886-Persistent-organic-pollutants-methoxychlor_en

European Union (EC) Publishes Regulation (EU) 2024/590 on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer Repealing Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 On Feb. 20, 2024, the European Commission (EC) published Regulation (EU) 2024/590 of the European Parliament and of the Council of Feb. 7, 2024, on substances that deplete the ozone layer and repealed Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009.  The full Regulatory Update can be found here . References https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/590/oj

New Substance Added to REACH SVHC On June 27, 2024, ECHA’s Member State Committee (MSC) confirmed the addition of one hazardous chemical to the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). This is the second update to the REACH in 2024 and brings the SVHC list up from 240 to 241 substances.  Manufacturers and importers must declare SVHC content above the limit of 0.1% weight by weight in all articles, which includes the SCIP notifications.  Substance Name Bis(α,α-dimethylbenzyl) peroxide CAS No. 80-43-3 EC no 201-279-3 Date of Inclusion to the List 27.06.2024 This substance is mostly used in flame retardant in plastics and rubbers. It has recently been found to be toxic for reproduction, which is why it has now been included in the List.  The previous update for the Candidate List was related to the addition of five new substances added to the list on 23rd January 2024. According to ECHA, these substances were used in products such as inks and toners, adhesives and sealants and washing and cleaning products. These five substances are listed in the table below. Substances added in the Previous Update to the Candidate List (23.01.2024) Substance Name CAS No.  2,4,6-tri-test-butylphenol 732-26-3 2-(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)-4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol 3147-75-9 2-(dimethylamino)-2-[(4-methylphenyl)methyl]-1-[4-(morpholin-4-yl)phenyl]butan-1-one 119344-86-4 Bumetrizole 3896-11-5 Phenol, methylstyrenated Note for Importers, Producers and Suppliers: As per ECHA, Importers and producers of articles have to notify ECHA if their article contains a Candidate List substance within six months from the date of that substance’s inclusion in the list. In addition, suppliers of substances on the Candidate List, supplied either on their own or in mixtures, have to provide their customers with a safety data sheet. You can find the complete SVHC list on the ECHA website here . Additional Note on Draft Regulation for REACH: On 30 July 2024, the EU Commission proposed a draft Regulation amending Annex XVIII of Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 with regards to the following substances:   N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAC) and  1-ethylpyrrolidin-2- one (NEP) .  The draft regulation proposes a restriction regarding  DMAC and NEP substances  on the market in concentrations equal  to or higher than 0.3%  unless manufacturers, importers and downstream users update the safety dossiers and data sheets with the new derived no-effect level (DNEL) values and ensure the protection of workers by keeping their exposure below those values. Further Information (30.08.24): There are also six proposals to identify new substances for the REACH SVHC as of the date of publication, 30 August, 2024 . The six substances under consideration are: Substance Names CAS Numbers Reason for Proposing and Used In 6-[(C10-C13)-alkyl-(branched,unsaturated)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl]hexanoic acid 2156592-54-8 Toxic for Reproduction.  Used in lubricants, greases,release products and metal working fluids O,O,O-triphenyl phosphorothioate 597-82-0 PBT.  Used in lubricants and greases Octamethyltrisiloxane 107-51-7 vPvB.  Cosmetics, Personal and Health Care products, Pharmaceuticals, Washing and cleaning products, coating and non-metal surface treatment, and in sealants and adhesives. Perfluamine 338-83-0 vPvB.  Used for the manufacture of electrical, electronic and optical equipment, and machinery and vehicles. Reaction mass of: triphenyl thiophosphate and tertiary butylated phenyl derivatives 192268-65-8 PBT.  This substance has no active registrations. Tris(4-nonylphenyl, branched and linear) phosphite - Endocrine disrupting properties. polymers, adhesives and sealants, and coatings. The deadline for commenting/feedback is October 14th, 2024.  References https://echa.europa.eu/candidate-list-table https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/tbt/en/search/?tbtaction=search.detail&num=1079&Country_ID=EU&dspLang=EN&BASDATEDEB=&basdatedeb=&basdatefin=&baspays=EU&basnotifnum=1079&basnotifnum2=1079&bastypepays=EU&baskeywords=

In the rapidly evolving landscape of environmental regulations, staying abreast of the latest updates to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive is crucial for regulatory experts and compliance managers.  Recently, there have been significant developments concerning RoHS exemptions that merit your attention. Understanding these changes can help ensure continued compliance and avoid potential pitfalls in your supply chain and product development processes. Recent RoHS Exemption Updates: The European Commission has issued new exemptions and renewals on the 13th of March 2024, amending Directive 2011/65/EU   that impact several sectors. Here’s a breakdown of the most notable updates: Exemption Number Exemption Description Expiry Date Explanation 39(a) Cadmium selenide in downshifting cadmium-based semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots for use in display lighting applications (< 0,2 μg Cd per mm2 of display screen area) Expires for all categories on 21 November 2025 This is a renewal of the previous RoHS Exemption listed in entry 39(a) of Annex III to Directive 2011/65/EU. It was set to expire on October 31,  2019 and had been previously requested for renewal. 39(b) Cadmium in downshifting semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots directly deposited on LED semiconductor chips for use in display and projection applications (< 5 μg Cd per mm2 of LED chip surface) with a maximum amount per device of 1 mg.  Expires for all categories on 31 December 2027 This is a new exemption added to RoHS Important Dates to Note: The due date for the Adoption and Publication of Laws, Regulations and Administrative Provisions necessary to comply with this directive is  31 December 2024 . The text for these would have to be communicated to the Commission as well.  The starting date for the application of these provisions is 1 January 2025 . When Member States adopt those provisions, they would also need to contain a reference to this Directive in their official publication.  References: Delegated directive - EU - 2024/1416 - EN - EUR-Lex

China RoHS now has Four Additional Substances China  RoHS has been updated with Amendment No. 1 to GB/T 26572-2011, pertaining to Electronics and Electrical Equipment (EEE) on June 29th, 2024. The amendment includes the addition of restrictions on phthalate substances. This amendment will officially come into effect on January 1, 2026 . The addition of four new types of phthalates means that China RoHS will now fully align with international standards. Going forward, both domestic and export electronics and raw materials will need to comply with the requirements for these ten restricted substances.  One key difference between the China RoHS and the EU RoHS is that China RoHS has no exemptions. This will continue to be the case, even after this Amendment comes into effect. Released Date: June 29th, 2024 The four newly added substances can be found in the table below: Controlled Substance Concentration Limit (by weight) Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Under China RoHS, in addition to controlling phthalate substances, the latest concentration limits for other controlled substances are: Controlled Substance Concentration Limit (by weight) Lead (Pb) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Mercury (Hg) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Hexavalent Chromium [Cr(VI)]  ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) ≤0.1% (1000 ppm) Cadmium (Cd)  ≤0.01% (100 ppm) References Four New Phthalate Restrictions Added to China China RoHS - Regulatory News - Chemicals - CIRS Group