The European Commission has published the Communication presenting the new approach of addressing potential risks associated with chemical mixtures. The Commission will identify priority mixtures, ensure that the different strands of EU legislation deliver consistent risk assessments for such priority mixtures and will contribute to filling in gaps in the scientific knowledge needed in their assessment.

The challenge is that the EU legislation targets specific groups of substances which include plant protection products, biocides, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, veterinary medicines. The Commission will ensure that priority mixtures are assessed in a co-ordinated and integrated manner within these sector-specific legislations.

The Commission plans to tackle as well some of the data and knowledge gaps to improve understanding of the mixtures to which people and the environment are exposed.

The ultimate aim is to develop by 2014 technical guidances codifying best practices for the assessment of priority chemical mixtures. By 2015, the Commission will draw up a report concluding on the progress achieved.

Click here for more information about the Communication.

The methodology of chemical cocktails will directly impact the way specific chemical substances are treated in downstream legislation. Early participation in the debates is a guarantee that your business concerns are well addressed. Click here to see how EPPA can be help to you in this ever-changing regulatory environment.

Poland has informed the Commission that it wants to extend its control over the production, marketing or use at work of a number of substances including: 4-nitrobiphenyl (CAS 92-93-3), 2-naphthylamine (CAS 91-59-8), benzidine (CAS 92-87-5), and biphenyl-4-amine (CAS 92-67-1) and its salt as a substance on its own or substance in the other substances or in mixtures in concentrations equal to or greater than 0.1% by weight.

Regarding companies producing, marketing or using the substances, they will have to provide justification, the amount of a substance or mixture consumed in a year, the use itself, the number of employees who may be exposed to a substance or mixture, safety precautions and organisational measures enacted to protect workers' health.

The notification will be subject to stakeholder consultations by 29 August.

For more information, please, click here

Germany and Sweden have notified to ECHA their plans to submit eight Annex XV proposals for substances of very high concern in August.

The substances to be proposed by Germany are: heptacosafluorotetradecanoic acid, pentacosafluorotridecanoic acid, henicosafluoroundecanoic acid; and tricosafluorododecanoic acid.

Sweden is planning to submit dossiers for methoxy acetic acid, cadmium sulphide, cadmium and cadmium oxide, based on the substances’ carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic properties.

For more information, please, click here

ECHA submitted five Annex XV dossier on: 

• CI Solvent Violet 8 (4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)-4''-(methylamino)trityl alcohol)
• Michler’s Base (N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-4,4'-methylenedianiline)
• CI Basic Blue 26 ([4-[[4-anilino-1-naphthyl][4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]methylene]cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene]dimethylammonium chloride)
• Michler’s Ketone (4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)benzophenone)
• CI Solvent Blue 4 (α,α-bis[4-(dimethylamino)phenyl]-4 (phenylamino)naphthalene-1-methanol).

Together with an earlier ECHA SVHC intention for Basic Violet 3, ECHA thus launched the first SVHC identification process in 2012 (a second one starts in August).

In addition to it, Spain intends to submit a proposal for a harmonised classification and labelling (HCL) for the pesticide acetochlor(2-chloro-N-ethoxymethyl-6´-ethylacet-o-toluidide). The dossier is expected to be submitted by 1 July 2012.

A public consultation on HCL for three substances, namely cis-tricos-9-ene (muscalure), etofenprox and fenpyrazamine were launched by ECHA. The deadline for submitting comments is 12 March 2012.