Simplifying rules for everyday products and chemicals

Goal of the Changes

The goal of these amendments is to simplify complex rules and reduce unnecessary paperwork and administrative costs for businesses. This simplification is intended to happen while maintaining the high level of protection for people, animals, and the environment.

Key Changes to Chemical Rules

The updates affect three main areas: chemicals, cosmetics, and fertilizers.

Chemical Products (Labeling and Packaging)
The rules governing how chemicals are classified, labeled, and packaged are being updated to make them easier to manage. Key changes include:

• Digital Contact: Labels can now use a digital contact method (like an email or website) instead of requiring a physical phone number.
• Smaller Packages: Some labeling requirements can be removed for very small packages (10 ml or less) or for ink cartridges (150 ml or less).
• Relabeling Time: The time given to companies to update labels after a chemical is re-classified is extended from six months to eighteen months.

Cosmetics
The rules for cosmetic products are being streamlined:

• Simplified Notification: Companies only need to submit one notification to the Commission before selling a cosmetic product.
• Safety Reporting: Nanomaterials must be specifically identified in the safety report and the notification.
• Reformulation Time: The time allowed for companies to reformulate a cosmetic product after a new restriction is shortened to six months.

Fertilizer Products
The rules for fertilizer products are being updated to be more digital and efficient:

• Digital Contact: Every fertilizer must provide a digital contact point so authorities can quickly reach the producer.
• Online Access: The EU declaration of conformity can now be accessed directly through a web address.
• Producer Burden: Registration requirements for substances used in fertilizers are being aligned with existing rules, which helps prevent small-scale producers from being overly burdened.

How the Changes Affect the Public

For consumers and the general public, the changes mean:

• Easier Information Access: Using digital contacts and clearer labels means that if there is a question or an emergency, the producer or authorities can be reached quickly.
• Consistent Warnings: All advertisements for hazardous chemicals sold to the public must include the warning, "Always read the label and product information before use," along with a warning symbol or signal word.
• Better Safety Checks: The new rules for cosmetics mean that products on the market are checked more thoroughly, and any new risks are identified faster.

Implementation Timeline

The changes will take effect gradually, with specific dates for different product types:

• Cosmetics: New notification rules will apply from January 1, 2027, with full implementation by January 1, 2029.
• Fertilizers: New digital contact and declaration rules will apply from January 1, 2027, with full implementation by January 1, 2029.
• Chemicals (CLP): New labeling requirements will apply from January 1, 2029.

Broader context

These changes are part of a wider EU push — often called the "better regulation" agenda — to reduce red tape for businesses without weakening safety. The 2024 Draghi report (a major EU competitiveness review) flagged chemical regulations as a specific burden slowing European industry down compared to rivals in the US and Asia.

The three laws being updated are pillars of EU chemical safety:

Impact on people living in the EU

For most people, the changes will be invisible in daily life — but a few things are worth knowing:

On product labels, you may start seeing an email address or website instead of a phone number on household chemicals. You can use these to reach the manufacturer quickly in case of questions or accidents.

When buying hazardous products online or seeing them advertised, you will start seeing the phrase "Always read the label and product information before use" plus a warning symbol on ads. This is now legally required.

Cosmetics on shelves will go through a more streamlined safety check before reaching the market, which could mean a wider variety of products available faster — without lowering safety standards.

Relabelling delays mean that for up to 18 months after a chemical is reclassified as more dangerous, it may still carry its old label in shops. The product itself is not less safe — the risk assessment has already been updated — but the physical label may lag behind.