Brussels, 13/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 13 February, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published the first EU classification and labelling inventory. ECHA lists the classification of all the chemical substances used in the EU, which allows identifying those that are potentially hazardous and may damage health and the environment. The aim is to provide industry, and in particular small companies, with easy access to information on the danger of a given substance, facilitating the task of correctly classifying and labelling substances and mixtures, as well as substitution of hazardous substances with less damaging alternatives where feasible.
The inventory compiles information from over 3 million notifications for more than 100,000 substances submitted by manufacturers and importers in the framework of the classification and labelling regulation (CLP) or registered under the REACH regulation. The European Commission points out that classification is essential for the safe use of chemicals because it indicates whether a chemical is hazardous and can damage health or the environment, and it determines the content of the labels of products used by workers and consumers. The inventory should also help to promote a uniform classification of hazardous substances in Europe and in the world. Antonio Tajani, the commissioner for industry, believes that classification will help facilitate the work of enterprise. His counterpart, Janez Potocnik, responsible for the environment, said that it would help industry and ultimately enable downstream users and consumers to choose products less harmful for health and the environment. (OL/transl.fl)