To protect the environment and human health, the European Commission adopted, on Monday 25 September, its regulation aimed at limiting the amount of microplastics intentionally added to products in the EU.
This restriction is based on an amendment to Annex 17 of the REACH Regulation (1907/2006) concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (see EUROPE 13172/16).
The new rules are based on a broad definition of microplastics - all synthetic polymer particles less than five millimetres in size that are organic, insoluble and resistant to degradation - but allow for derogations with long transition periods of up to 12 years.
The sales ban will apply immediately to cosmetic products containing microbeads (used for exfoliation) and plastic glitter.
On the other hand, it will apply after 4 to 12 years for other cosmetics, depending on the complexity of the product, the need for reformulation and the availability of suitable alternatives.
For sports pitch infill materials, the ban will apply after 8 years in order to give pitch owners and managers time to switch to other solutions and to allow most existing sports pitches to reach the end of their life, says the Commission.
“This restriction contributes to the green transition of the EU industry and promotes innovative, microplastic-free products – from cosmetics to detergents to sport surfaces”, commented the European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton.
In 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) came out in favour of a total restriction on these intentionally added microplastics (see EUROPE 12183/6).
To see the European Commission regulation: https://aeur.eu/f/8qb
See the appendix: https://aeur.eu/f/8qc (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)