EU Announces 2022 Surveillance Initiative for Consumer Products

GENEVA - July 23, 2020 - PRLog -- The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has announced its surveillance activities in 2022 will include checking for hazardous chemicals in consumer products under both:

·         Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (REACH)
·         POPs recast Regulation

The announcement was made on July 1, 2020 and the enforcement project report is expected to be published in 2023.

The intention is to broaden the scope of control and strengthen the protection of EU citizens and the environment. It will therefore look at specific types of material such as plastic, rubber and/or textiles.

The scope of the study may also include:

·         Phthalates
·         Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid and its derivatives (PFOS)

The project will also check REACH duties on substances of very high concern (SVHCs) in articles for the purpose of communication in the supply chain.

Stakeholders should be aware there are currently 209 SVHCs on the Candidate List, which will trigger certain legal obligations for importers, producers and suppliers of an article containing these substances:

·         Article 3 of REACH defines 'article' as an object which during production is given a special shape, surface or design which determines its function to a greater degree than does its chemical composition

·         Article 33 of REACH requires suppliers of an article containing a substance on the Candidate List in a concentration of more than 0.1% must provide the recipient of the article (industrial or professional users, or distributors being supplied with an article but does not include consumers) with sufficient information, available to the supplier, to allow the safe use of the article, including as a minimum, the name of the SVHC. This equivalent information should be supplied, free of charge, to consumers within 45 days if it is requested

Manufacturers and suppliers are now advised to check their products are compliant with the provisions in all EU regulations.

SGS Consumer Product Services

SGS provides news about the development of regulations affecting consumer products as a complimentary service. With a global network of laboratories, SGS provides a wide range of services including physical/mechanical testing, chemical testing, analytical testing and consultancy work for technical and non-technical parameters applicable to a comprehensive range of consumer products. Learn more about SGS's Consumer Product (https://www.sgs.com/en/consumer-goods-retail) Services.

SGS SafeGuardS keep you up to date with the latest news and developments in the consumer goods industry. Read the full EU Initiative to Surveil Hazardous Chemicals in Products (https://www.sgs.com/en/news/2020/07/safeguards-10220-eu-i...) SafeGuardS.

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For further information contact:

Hingwo Tsang
Global Information and Innovation Manager
Tel:(+852) 2774 7420
Email: crs.media@sgs.com