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

This law is part of the EU’s wider effort to cut red tape in the single market while keeping the same level of protection for health and the environment. It follows the 2024 Draghi report, which warned that too many and too complex rules can weaken EU competitiveness, and it fits the Commission’s broader “simplification” agenda for chemicals, cosmetics and fertilisers. The Parliament’s version also stresses consumer protection and the smooth functioning of the internal market, not just business savings. Another nearby EU development is the newer “one substance, one assessment” framework, which aims to make chemical safety work more coordinated and efficient across EU laws. single-market-economy.ec.europa

Impact on people living in the EU

For people in the EU, the biggest practical change is that safety information should remain easy to find, but in a less cluttered form. Hazardous chemical adverts for the general public will still need a clear warning to read the label and product information before use, and labels must remain readable and legible. Digital contact details on labels and web-accessible conformity documents should make it faster to reach producers or authorities when there is a question or an emergency. The cosmetics changes matter because new restrictions can lead to faster reformulation and clearer notification, which supports consumer safety while products stay on the market. secure.ipex

What changes in practice

Outside the EU

The main effect outside the EU is on companies that sell into the EU market. They may need to adapt labels, notifications and digital access points to keep exporting or importing products into the EU. single-market-economy.ec.europa