EU chemicals legislation at a glance

• Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006

  REACH

  Manufacturers and importers must register substances from one tonne per year with ECHA. REACH also governs safety data sheets, restrictions (Annex XVII) and the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC). If an article contains an SVHC above 0.1 %, information obligations under Article 33 apply. Manufacturers outside the EU can appoint an only representative (Article 8).

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• Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008

  CLP: classification and labelling

  Governs how substances and mixtures are classified, labelled and packaged, from the hazard pictogram to the child-resistant fastening. For hazardous mixtures, Annex VIII requires the poison centre notification (PCN) with UFI. The revision by Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 brings, among other things, new rules on label format, online offers and distributors; after the postponement by Regulation (EU) 2025/2439 the format rules apply from 1 January 2028, the notification obligation for certain distributors from 1 January 2027.

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• Regulation (EU) No 528/2012

  Biocides

  Biocidal products such as disinfectants or insect repellents need an authorisation. For products with active substances in the EU review programme, national transitional rules apply, in Germany a notification to the BAuA.

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• Regulation (EC) No 648/2004

  Detergents and cleaning products

  Governs the biodegradability of surfactants and the labelling of detergents and cleaning products, for example the ingredient declaration and allergenic fragrances. The new Detergents Regulation (EU) 2026/405 entered into force on 23 March 2026 and replaces the current regulation on 23 September 2029.

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• Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

  Plant protection products

  Plant protection products may only be placed on the market with an authorisation. Active substances are approved at EU level, products are authorised in the member states, in Germany by the BVL.

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• ChemVerbotsV (Germany)

  Chemicals Prohibition Ordinance (Germany)

  Governs the supply of certain hazardous substances and mixtures in Germany, for example expert knowledge of staff, information and documentation obligations and the ban on self-service.

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• Regulation (EU) No 649/2012

  PIC: export and import

  Certain hazardous chemicals may only be exported to countries outside the EU after prior export notification. Notifications are made via ECHA's ePIC system.

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• Regulation (EU) 2023/2055

  Microplastics

  Restricts synthetic polymer microparticles as entry 78 of REACH Annex XVII. The rules have applied since 17 October 2023 with staggered transitional periods and information and reporting obligations for certain products.

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• Directive 2008/98/EC, Article 9

  SCIP database

  Since 5 January 2021, suppliers of articles containing a Candidate List substance above 0.1 % must submit information to ECHA's SCIP database.

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• Candidate List, ATPs, restrictions

  Substance monitoring

  Chemicals legislation changes constantly: the Candidate List is extended regularly, and adaptations to technical progress (ATP) bring new classifications. If you keep an eye on your raw materials, you do not have to change data sheets and labels under time pressure.

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This overview is for initial orientation and does not replace a case-by-case check. Ask us which rules apply to your product.