Press Release: Chemicals: More than three million classification and labelling notifications improve information on hazardous chemicals

More than three million notifications on the classification of chemical substances in line with new EU rules have been received by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). All companies manufacturing or importing hazardous substances were required to classify them by 1 December 2010 and notify ECHA by 3 January 2011.

Classification is essential to determine whether a chemical is dangerous for health and the environment, and will determine the information on the labels of chemicals that workers and consumers use. The new rules are laid down in the EU Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals (CLP) which aligns the EU classification system to the UN Globally Harmonised System, ensuring that the same hazards are described and labelled in the same way all around the world. The data will enable ECHA to establish the first European inventory of hazardous substances and harmonised classifications.

ESO: Background Information: Website: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) http://www.europeansources.info/record/website-european-chemicals-agency-echa/

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