WARMAN®

The proven, trusted industry leader for unrivalled performance and innovation – always. When it comes to specifying your next pump or pump upgrade, it’s not a question of whether you can afford Warman®, it’s whether you can afford not to. alwayswarman.weir list in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/821, in order to bring it in line with the decisions taken in the Australia Group – the multilateral export control regime in charge of preventing the proliferation of chemical and biological items – in 2022.

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This update adds some emerging technologies in the biological sector to the EU Dual-Use List. In particular, the updated EU control list includes four new entries for marine toxins, namely brevetoxins, gonyautoxins, nodularins and palytoxins, which are naturally present in marine environments but can also be synthesised and used for biological weapons, for example. Other changes were mainly on removal and changes of references, and editorial changes.

The update of the EU Control List was coordinated with US measures introducing the same controls for these emerging technologies through the Export Control Working Group of the Trade and Technology Council.

Subject to the Council and the European Parliament raising no objections within a period of two months, the Commission Delegated Regulation will be published and will enter into force on the day following that of its publication.

EU – UK (Brexit)

On 26 February, The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, hailed the new political agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom as the opening of a new chapter in relations between the two. Ties have been uneasy ever since the UK left the EU more than three years ago, hindering the development of much-needed cooperation in areas such as defence and scientific research. The new agreement in principle, called the Windsor Framework, modifies trade rules for Northern Ireland, which have been a source of heated debate in the post-Brexit UK. The deal seeks to resolve tensions caused by the Ireland/Northern Ireland protocol, a complex agreement which sets trading rules for Northern Ireland – allowing it to access the EU single market and thus avoid a 'hard border' on the island of Ireland – that the Government agreed before the UK left the EU, but has since maintained are unworkable.

REACH review

The REACH revision proposal was scheduled for Q4 2022, and the Commission was expected to present it as part of its second circular economy action plan, but it was postponed. The Commission has recently confirmed that the proposal will be published in Q4 2023 at the latest, but they will try to deliver it even earlier.

The Commission is currently finalising the impact assessment on the basis of Regulatory Scrutiny Board comments and in parallel with the draft legislative proposal.

Main elements of the impact assessment:

• Lack of information on certain hazards (Increase information requirements on ED, low tonnage substances, use/exposure information, low tonnage CSR, DMEL); Polymers; Safety data sheets; “Cocktail effect” and mixture assessment factor;

• Authorisation & restriction processes too complex (Extend generic risk management approach; simplify authorisation & restriction processes; introduce essential use concept);

• Insufficient enforcement (Revoke registration numbers for constantly incompliant dossiers; European Audit capacity; strengthen customs controls, combat fraud and tackle online sales; access to justice).

Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC)

New proposals to identify new substances of very high concern. The substances and examples of their uses are:

• bis(4-chlorophenyl) sulphone (EC 201-247-9, CAS 8007-9). Used for the manufacture of chemicals, plastic products, and rubber products.

• diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (EC 278-355-8, CAS 75980-60-8). Used in inks and toners, coating products, photo-chemicals, polymers, adhesives, sealants, fillers, putties, plasters, and modelling clay.

• Hexamethyldisiloxane (EC 203-492-7, CAS 107-46-0);

• Dodecamethylpentasiloxane (EC 205-492-2, CAS 14163-9);

• Decamethyltetrasiloxane (EC 205-491-7, CAS 141-628);

• 1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyltrisiloxane (EC 217-496-1, CAS 1873-88-7);

• 1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyl-3(trimethylsilyl)oxy]trisiloxane (EC 241-867-7, CAS 17928-28-8); and

• Octamethyltrisiloxane (EC 203-497-4, CAS 107-51-7). Moreover, ECHA has also added nine hazardous chemicals to the Candidate List. The Candidate List of substances of very high concern now contains 233 entries for chemicals that can harm people or the environment. Companies are responsible for managing the risks of these chemicals and must also give their customers and consumers information to use them safely.

PFCAs

The EU-wide restriction of certain perfluorocarboxylic acids (C9-C14 PFCAs) – a subgroup of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – will apply from 25 February onwards. PFCAs cannot be placed on the market or used in most applications after this date. However, some uses have been granted longer transition periods.

Cmr

The European Commission is planning to prepare a REACH restriction proposal on carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) substances in childcare articles. In this context, ECHA, which supports the Commission by preparing an investigation report, is currently asking interested parties for more information on the potential presence of CMRs (categories 1A or 1B) in childcare articles.

Lead (metal)

ECHA included lead metal in the draft of its 11th recommendation for authorisation. From October 2022 to February 2023, ECHA’s Member State Committee (MSC) discussed the inclusion of lead and on 7 February 2023 MSC adopted its opinion on the 11th recommendation by consensus including Pb. The MSC opinion is likely to be published soon, together with the ECHA opinion. The Commission will consider ECHA’s recommendation and present this to the Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP (CARACAL) in 2024.

ECHA has launched a consultation on 13 applications for authorisation covering 14 uses of:

• Chromium trioxide (EC 215-607-8, CAS 1333-82-0): used in functional chrome plating, functional chrome plating with decorative character, passivation of electrolytic tinplate (ETP)

• Sodium dichromate (EC 234-190-3, CAS 10588-01-9): passivation of electrolytic tinplate (ETP)

• 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol, ethoxylated (EC -, CAS -): manufacturing aid in the production of gene therapies.

More details about the functions of the substances, the uses