Inspectors will check that the products comply with restrictions for selected hazardous substances under REACH. The controls will also check whether products comply with restrictions for the presence of persistent organic pollutants defined under the POPs Regulation. Specific substances to be covered by these checks will be decided in 2021 and could potentially include for example phthalates or PFOS.
Enforcers will also check REACH duties for substances in articles requiring that information on substances of very high concern in products is being communicated in the supply chain.
These duties under REACH and POPs will be checked for specific types of material such as rubber, plastic or textiles. In this way each product can be controlled for several REACH or POPs requirements which will broaden the scope of controls and strengthening the protection of EU citizens and the environment. This enforcement project will be prepared in 2021, with inspections conducted in 2022 and the report expected at the end of 2023.
The Forum also set timelines for the pilot project on the classification of mixtures, which will focus on classification of detergents and cleaning products. The preparation for this project will start at the end of 2020, with inspections taking place in 2021 and 2022 and the report expected in 2023.
Ms Katja vom Hofe (Germany) was re-elected as the Forum’s Chair and Ms Sinead McMickan (Ireland) as the Vice Chair. Mr Henrik Hedlund (Sweden) was also elected as the Forum’s Vice Chair. The Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement met virtually on 22-25 June 2020.
Forum Biocidal Products Regulation Subgroup (BPRS)
The BPRS re-assessed Member States’ ongoing enforcement activities to address non-compliant (hand) disinfectants, which have appeared on the market during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and concluded that current intensified enforcement actions at the national level are sufficient to address these cases. The BPRS also agreed to work with the Commission to address any questions related to borderline between BPR and the cosmetics regulation.
Mr Eugen Anwander (Austria) was re-elected as the BPRS Chair and Ms Jenny Karlsson (Sweden) was elected as the Subgroup’s Vice Chair. The BPRS met virtually on 26 June 2020.
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