What’s Trending In Compliance In July 2024

This blog was originally posted on 22nd July, 2024. Further regulatory developments may have occurred after publication. To keep up-to-date with the latest compliance news, sign up to our newsletter.

At Compliance & Risks we help manufacturers, retailers and their supply chain partners to monitor and manage global regulations via C2P, our compliance knowledge management platform.

We break down some of the top compliance trends in July 2024 that are generating the most interest globally this month.

1. EU: ECHA’s Key Areas of Regulatory Challenge, Report, June 2024

ECHA maps its key areas of regulatory challenge within the Partnership for Assessment of Risk from Chemicals (PARC) project, which provides a forum for collaboration between scientists and regulators around Europe. 

The first map of key areas of regulatory challenge was published by ECHA in 2023. In June 2024, ECHA published an update of its current regulatory needs. This report provides ECHA’s views on research needs which are set out in four chapters:

• Provide protection against most harmful chemicals
• Addressing chemical pollution in the environment
• Shift away from animal testing
• Improved availability on chemical data.

The report details why each topic is relevant, how it fits in the regulatory landscape and what the impacts of short-term and long-term research may be.

2. California (USA): Three-Year Priority Product Work Plan (2024‐2026), Discussion Paper, May 2024

On 30 May 2024, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) published a Discussion Paper on the Draft Priority Product Work Plan (2024-2026) under the state’s Safer Consumer Products Program (SCP) with the purpose of revising and expanding covered product categories.

The Draft Plan identifies categories of consumer products the department intends to evaluate in order to identify Priority Products for regulation, which are divided into product categories, as follows:

• Product Categories Currently Under Evaluation:
  • Beauty, Personal Care, and Hygiene Products;
  • Cleaning Products;
  • Building Products and Materials Used in Construction and Renovation;
  • Children’s Products;
  • Food Packaging (expanded to Food Contact Articles);
  • Motor Vehicle Tires (expanded to Motor Vehicle Parts, Accessories, Maintenance, and Repair Materials);
  • Paints (carved out of the Building Products and Materials Used in Construction and Renovation category);
  • Products that Contain or Generate Microplastics.
• Product Categories Intended for Evaluation:
  • Motor Vehicle Parts, Accessories, Maintenance, and Repair Materials;
  • Food Contact Articles;
  • Electronics;
  • Products Used or Produced by Metal Plating and Finishing Facilities;
  • Pet Care Products;
  • Sporting and Athletic Equipment.

The inclusion of a product category in this proposal does not subject products to regulation, create any new legal obligations, or imply any determinations regarding the safety of products within that category.

3. EU: Briefing on the Critical Raw Materials Act, Report, June 2024

On 11 June 2024 the EU Parliament published a briefing regarding the Critical Raw Materials Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1252).

This briefing focuses on the EU Commission’s proposal to regulate critical raw materials (CRMs), introducing the concept of strategic raw materials (SRMs) and aiming to establish a framework to ensure EU’s access to a sustainable supply of these materials. The said proposal was published in the EU Official Journal on 3 May 2024 as EU Regulation 2024/1252. 

The briefing explains the EU sources of CRMs and their criticality. It touches on the extremely high demand scenario, while demonstrating the increasing demand from the electric mobility sector. 

4. Canada: Dangerous Goods Marks, Guidance Document, March 2024

In March 2024, Transport Canada published a guidance document on Dangerous Goods Marks. 

Part 4 of the Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Regulations requires dangerous goods marks to be displayed on the containers that contain dangerous goods in transport. This guidance elaborates on various requirements as per the TDG Regulations and is divided in the following sections:

• Consignor and Carrier Responsibilities;
• General Requirements;
• Misleading Dangerous Goods Marks;
• Labels;
• Placards;
• Other Dangerous Goods Marks;
• Air, Marine, U.S. (road/rail) Shipments, etc.

5. Denmark: National Action Plan on PFAS, Agreement, May 2024

On 30 May 2024, the Danish Government issued a National Agreement on prevention, containment and elimination of PFAS in the environment and in products. The Plan contains initiatives for the following:

• Banning PFAS in clothes, shoes and impregnations for consumers in Denmark. It is proposed to give businesses a transition period of one year in order to adjust production. This means that the ban will apply from 1 July 2026.
• A pool of DKK 110 million is set aside for the purification of PFAS in drinking water.
• A pool of DKK 100 million is set aside for cleaning soil for PFAS.
• Increasing the control of products – with online shopping and in physical stores.
• Strengthening the monitoring of PFAS in the aquatic environment, in food and food-producing animals.
• Establishing partnerships with business and ensure targeted information for citizens with easy-to-understand advice and guidance.
• Ensuring knowledge about the PFAS levels in the Danish population.
• Advising municipalities and water supply companies on PFAS and ensure knowledge of the PFAS levels in the Danish population.
• Working for a general ban on PFAS throughout the EU.

A ban on PFAS in fire-fighting foam is being introduced; the use of PFAS in textiles will be prohibited, in clothing and waterproofing agents for consumers; the use of PFAS in food packaging will be addressed; and the Ministry of the Environment seeks to take account of accidental trace contamination of clothing and impregnation by establishing a limit for the unintentional presence of PFAS.

A PFAS knowledge task force has been established, which at the end of 2024 must provide proposals for prioritized action instructions.

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