First public consultation on harmonised classification and labelling

02-25-2009: ECHA has published on its website the first public consultation on a proposal to harmonise the classification and labelling of two chemical substances. The two substances in this consultation are:

- Epoxiconazole – a pesticide, used in agriculture to control types of fungus

- Diantimony trioxide – used as a flame retardant in plastics, PVC, rubber and textiles; as an additive in glass; and in the manufacture of pigments and paints

The Swedish authorities have submitted to ECHA comprehensive dossiers on these two substances and asked for their classification and labelling to be harmonised across the European Union.

In line with the REACH regulation, ECHA´s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) will take all the comments into account when it forms its scientific opinion on the Swedish proposals. The scientific opinion and any comments will be sent to the European Commission.

The European Commission, involving the REACH regulatory committee of representatives of the EU Member States, will then decide whether the classification and labelling of Epoxiconazole and Diantimony trioxide will be harmonised across the EU. If the classification and labelling of these two substances is harmonised, suppliers across Europe must in future classify and label them (on their own or in mixtures) in the specified way before placing them on the market.