Council and Parliament strike deal to simplify requirements for chemical products
Today, the Council and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on simplifying rules related to the classification, packaging, and labelling of chemicals (CLP), cosmetics products and fertilising products. Those provisions are the remaining part of the so-called ‘Omnibus VI’ package, which simplifies rules in the field of chemical products, while maintaining a high level of protection for consumers and the environment.
Today the Cyprus presidency delivers another concrete result under the ‘One Europe, One Market’ roadmap and the simplification agenda, ahead of the forthcoming Leaders’ stocktaking. The agreement reduces unnecessary administrative burdens, supports innovation and circularity, and maintains high standards of consumer and environmental protection, delivering tangible benefits for both the chemicals industry and our citizens across Europe (Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European affairs of the Republic of Cyprus).
The deal follows the previous agreement between the co-legislators on the ‘stop-the-clock’ mechanism which postponed to 1 January 2028 the date of entry into application of the revised regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP regulation). Today’s provisional agreement extends this date to 1 January 2030 to align the date of application on all three regulations, which modify three pieces of EU’s chemical legislation:
- the CLP regulation, which was revised in 2024
- the 2009 cosmetic products regulation, and
- the 2019 fertilising products regulation
The targeted amendments aim to address issues raised by stakeholders which create administrative burdens for enterprises, notably by reducing compliance costs arising from these three major pieces of EU legislation, while ensuring the same level of protection of human health and the environment. In view of its significant implications for suppliers and European companies, the co-legislators have treated these proposals with utmost priority aiming to provide EU companies with the necessary legal certainty on their obligations.
Main amendments introduced by the co-legislators
The co-legislators maintained the general scope of the Commission proposal when it comes to the three pieces of legislation to be amended, while proposing some targeted amendments to reinforce consumer protection and general safety when dealing with hazardous substances.
CLP regulation
The amendments to the CLP regulation mostly concern the formatting requirements and frequency of update of labelling information.
In terms of readability of labels, the co-legislators agreed to have just general readability criteria in the business-to-business context, but retain more safeguards in products aimed at the general public, such as minimum font sizes.
The agreement also includes specific labelling derogations for small packaging that could be applicable to printer ink cartridges, among others, by using digital labels only, for small, inner packaging containers, when extensive information is provided in printed form on the outer packaging.
Another important element in the CLP regulation concerns the transitional period for relabelling obligations when one of more substances in a product are discovered to be more hazardous than previously thought. Market operators complained that the existing timelines are too short, so the agreement gives them a few additional months for the labelling updates.
Cosmetic products regulation
One of the key elements amended in the Cosmetics regulation include the transitional periods for phasing out Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or Reprotoxic (CMR) substances, where a differentiated system was agreed by co-legislators, with the length of the deadline proportional to the underlying risks.
Furthermore, in an effort to strike the right balance for cosmetic businesses when looking for alternative substances to replace a CMR substance in a product, the provisional agreement invites the Commission to publish guidance on the definitions and use of such alternative substances.
Finally, in response to concerns regarding the protection of human health and the environment, the provisional agreement preserves the Council mandate about extensive notification for nanomaterials in cosmetic products, which shall be sent prior to the cosmetic product being placed on the market.
Fertilising products regulation
The amendments to the fertilising products regulation are more technical in nature and concern the fine-tuning of specific requirements for the authorisation of component materials that can be introduced in fertilisers in order to have a CE marking.
The co-legislators’ agreement tasks the Commission to modernise the requirements for the registration of fertilisers’ components, such as micro-organisms, animal by-products, polymers and other substances or materials that are difficult for operators to register because they do not fit exactly in an existing Component Material Category (CMC).
The provisional agreement also preserves the REACH registration obligation for substances subject to harmonised classification for certain particularly harmful substances.
Next steps
The provisional agreement must now be endorsed by the Council and the European Parliament before being submitted for a legal/linguistic revision in view of its formal adoption by the co-legislators in the coming months. The co-legislators will work towards formally adopting this Omnibus as soon as possible, in the course of 2026.
Background
In October 2024, the European Council called on all EU institutions, member states and stakeholders, as a matter of priority, to take work forward, notably in response to the challenges identified in the reports by Enrico Letta (‘Much more than a market’) and Mario Draghi (‘The future of European competitiveness’).
The Budapest declaration of 8 November 2024 subsequently called for ‘launching a simplification revolution’, by ensuring a clear, simple and smart regulatory framework for businesses and drastically reducing administrative, regulatory and reporting burdens, in particular for SMEs.
Between 26 February and 9 July 2025, as a follow-up to EU leaders’ call, the Commission put forward six ‘Omnibus’ packages, aiming to simplify existing legislation on sustainability, investment, agriculture, small and mid-caps, digitalisation and common specifications, defence readiness and chemical products.