New Rules to enhance Safety, Sustainibilty and Competitiveness in Construction Products
The revised EU Regulation 2024/3110 introduces several crucial objectives:
CE Marking and Environmental Performance
Under the new regulation, the CE marking now encompasses both technical and environmental performances, aligning with the updated safety and sustainability requirements. Manufacturers are required to substantiate environmental claims and reflect them in the product’s Digital Product Passport (DPP).
Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC)
Compliance mandates that Declarations of Performance and Conformity include environmental data, such as climate impact and technical specifications. This information must be verified and made accessible to regulatory authorities through the DPP. Until new standards are developed, existing methodologies and standards remain acceptable.
The European Commission has launched the evaluation process of the Cosmetics Regulation, which is carried out as part of the REFIT Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme. The result of the evaluation is to indicate which elements and areas of the regulation work well and which need to be changed and adapted to changes related to the Green Deal or the digital and green transformation, as well as whether the current content of the regulation fulfills its role. The public consultation will last 4 weeks till 21 March 2025. Ekotox News Website:https://ekotox.eu/news/cosmetics-regulation-public-consultation/
* Everyone is waiting for direction within the new Commission – chemical management is becoming an interdisciplinary issue regulated by different areas of EU legislation – like an eruption from the misty steam of a hidden volcano
* The simplification promised by the 2024-2029 policy guidelines could probably be possible, but “optimization” could work better. Optimization will require a lot of discussion, data/information, and a willingness to compromise
* The most commonly used words “uncertainty” and “competitiveness”
* Substances of very high concern (SVHCs) will be expanded to include “substances of high concern” = substances of concern < SoCs… and that “horse” will be managed by different groups / legislation and for different purposes…
* REACH 2.0 needed for everyone, expectations are high, it is not clear what will be in it – the need for speed
* The story of PFAS becomes difficult to understand and follow. It seems that the resources already used are not sufficient and much more will be needed, but is it well targeted and is it developing in the right direction?
* All players try to organize themselves to better cope with the challenges of the rapid changes that are coming. 1S1A is one of the very important pieces of the mosaic
* Battery regulation seeks to control all aspects of a single product group. That is very ambitious. Maybe in the right direction. But as we have heard, we are losing competitiveness, investment, dynamism…
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/707 of 19 December 2022 amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 as regards hazard classes and criteria for classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, introduces new hazard classes, such as endocrine disruptors (EDs). The regulation has been in force since April 2023 and was incorporated as an integral part of the CLP regulation in November 2024.
All new substances placed on the market, from 1 May 2025, must include new classes and identify the hazards associated with them. As a result, the scope of registration data in REACH will increase, the scope of information provided in safety data sheets for new substances will change, and the labelling and packaging of chemicals will be affected.
Substances that were on the market before this date can already be voluntarily classified and labelled in accordance with the new requirements. However, entrepreneurs have deadline until November 2026 to adapt to the new requirements. More info: https://ekotox.eu/changes-to-the-clp-regulation-2024-2027-and-new-obligations/
President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Europe is not only a continent of industrial innovation, but also a continent of industrial production. However, the demand for clean products has slowed down, and some investments have moved to other regions. We know that too many obstacles still stand in the way of our European companies from high energy prices to excessive regulatory burden. The Clean Industrial Deal is to cut the ties that still hold our companies back and make a clear business case for Europe.”
The Commission is also taking actions to make our regulatory environment more efficient while reducing bureaucratic hurdles for businesses. Today’s measures are the results of the active engagement with industry leaders, social partners and civil society in the context of the Antwerp Declaration for a European Industrial Deal and the European Commission’s Clean Transition Dialogues.
Affordable energy is the foundation of competitiveness. To lower energy bills for industries, businesses and households, while promoting the transition to a low-carbon economy, the Commission adopted the Affordable Energy Action Plan to:
speed up the roll-out of clean energy, accelerating electrification
complete the internal energy market with physical interconnections
use energy more efficiently and cut dependence on imported fossil fuels.
Boosting demand for clean products
The Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act will increase demand for EU-made clean products, by introducing sustainability, resilience, and ‘made in Europe’ criteria in public and private procurements.
The Commission will also review the Public Procurement Framework in 2026 to introduce sustainability, resilience and European preference criteria in public procurement for strategic sectors.
Financing the clean transition
The Clean Industrial Deal will mobilise over €100 billion to support EU-made clean manufacturing. The Commission will:
adopt a new Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework to accelerate the approval of state aid to roll out renewable energy, decarbonise industry and ensure sufficient manufacturing capacity of clean tech
strengthen the Innovation Fund and propose an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, aiming for €100 billion in funding, based on available funds in the Innovation Fund, additional revenues resulting from parts of the ETS as well as the revision of InvestEU
launch a dedicated call under Horizon Europe to stimulate research and innovation in these areas
amend the InvestEU Regulation to increase the amount of financial guarantees that InvestEU can provide to support investments. This will in turn mobilise up to €50 billion for the deployment of clean tech, clean mobility and waste reduction.
Circularity and access to materials
Critical raw materials are key for our industry. The EU needs to secure access to such materials and reduce dependence on unreliable suppliers. Integrating circularity in our decarbonisation strategy is crucial to making the most of the EU’s limited resources. The Commission will:
set up a mechanism enabling European companies to come together and aggregate their demand for critical raw materials
create an EU Critical Raw Material Centre to jointly purchase raw materials on behalf of interested companies which will create economies of scale and offer more leverage to negotiate better prices and conditions
adopt a Circular Economy Act in 2026 to accelerate the circular transition and ensure that scarce materials are used and reused efficiently, reduce our global dependencies and create high-quality jobs. The aim is to have 24% of materials circular by 2030.
Acting on a global scale
The EU needs reliable global partners more than ever. In addition to ongoing and new trade agreements, the Commission will:
launch the first Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships to diversify supply chains and forge mutually beneficial deals
ensure the EU industry is economically secure and resilient, in the face of global competition and geopolitical uncertainties, through a range of trade defence and other instruments
simplify and strengthen the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the EU’s tool to put a fair price on the carbon emitted during the production of carbon intensive goods.
Skills and quality jobs
The EU’s workforce must have the necessary skills to support the transition to a low-carbon economy, including skills in clean technologies, digitalisation, and entrepreneurship.
The Commission will establish a Union of Skills that invests in workers, develops skills and creates quality jobs.
Erasmus+ will reinforce education and training programmes to develop a skilled and adaptable workforce, and address skills shortages in key sectors, with up to €90 million in funding.
The Clean Industrial deal will also focus on horizontal enablers necessary for a competitive economy:
cutting red tape,
fully exploiting the scale of the Single Market,
promoting quality jobs,
better coordinating policies at the EU and national levels.
The European Commission has launched the evaluation process of the Cosmetics Regulation, which is carried out as part of the REFIT Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme. The result of the evaluation is to indicate which elements and areas of the regulation work well and which need to be changed and adapted to changes related to the Green Deal or the digital and green transformation, as well as whether the current content of the regulation fulfills its role.
Areas of this evaluation are related to:
scope of the regulation,
correctness of the definitions contained in the text,
risk assessment of ingredients with potentially higher risk and application of a general approach to risk,
labelling of cosmetic products,
possibility of reducing administrative burdens and simplifying regulations,
consistency with other regulations, including REACH and CLP,
international trade and industry competitiveness.
The public consultation will last 4 weeks till 21 March 2025 and will end with the publication of the final report, which will indicate whether a change in the content of the Cosmetics Regulation is necessary. If the results indicate the need for a change, the European Commission will proceed to revise the content of the Cosmetics Regulation.
The current assessment is the first full review of the Cosmetics Regulation since 2013 and aims to indicate whether additional safety measures are needed to protect people from potentially hazardous ingredients.
Cosmetics Regulation revision status:
We would like to remind that the draft revision to the Cosmetics Regulation has already been discussed since 2022, and the finalization of the draft was supposed to take place in 2024, but the Commission decided to suspend work on the revision of the regulation and in October 2024 launched the evaluation process under the REFIT program, which is expected to end in 2026. Only after the results of this evaluation will the Commission decide whether to restart the process of amending the content of the Cosmetics Regulation.
The Enforcement Forum identifies key initiatives related to consumer safety and chemical compliance. These initiatives are directly related to the control program and chemical surveillance in 2025. The priorities developed by the Forum focus on the following areas: control of the transport of chemicals at the border, monitoring the sale of products online, as well as ensuring compliance with the requirements for classification and labelling of products.
From the agenda of the Forum meeting, which took place in the last quarter of 2024, it is possible to summarize the planned projects and initiatives in force in 2025.
Hazardous Mixtures Control Program (REF-14)
The purpose of controlling the classification and labelling of hazardous mixtures is to protect human health. As part of the project, consumer products commonly available on the market will be inspected, in particular:
Nicotine products, such as electronic cigarettes, containing toxic substances;
Air fresheners, containing sensitizing and irritating substances;
Other consumer products that are known to contain dangerous ingredients.
Inspectors will check whether product suppliers comply with the obligations resulting from CLP, including: correct labelling, correct classification of the product, or the use of child protection elements. At the same time, safety data sheets and product notifications to the poison centers will be checked for these products.
In connection with the developed REF-14 project, the Forum will prepare training programs for inspectors. The training materials will focus on the technical aspects of classification and labelling of hazardous substances and mixtures. The training program will include a module on explaining the operation of bridging principles in determining the classification of a product.
Biocidal Product Controls (BEF-3)
From January 2025, a biocidal product control program will be launched, which will focus on:
Checking the characteristics of the biocidal product;
Verification of the correctness of product marking and labeling;
Ensuring compliance with the Biocidal Products Regulation, including controls on authorisations.
Inspectors will check that the information on the label corresponds to the information approved in the authorisation, as well as that it is consistent with the tests and product characteristics. At the same time, inspectors can check the correctness of safety data sheets for a biocidal product. The inspections are scheduled for 2025, and reports with the results are to be published in 2026.
Poison Center Notification
The inspections start from January 2025 and will last next 6 months. Inspectors will check whether all operators have notified hazardous mixtures in PCNs, and the notifications cover the countries where the product is placed on the market. Inspectors can also check the safety data sheet and the label of the hazardous product.
Inspections of products sold online (REF-13)
At the beginning of 2025, inspections of products sold online will also start. The inspections will focus in particular on products containing substances restricted under REACH, POPs and RoHS. The obligation to include all required information under the CLP Regulation in the online notice will be checked.
Checks on the duties of the only representative
The Forum agreed that the next draft will focus on only representatives and checking whether they comply with their obligations regarding the registration of imported substances and substances present in mixtures. In addition to identifying operators and their registration obligations, inspectors will check that the tonnage of the substance is correctly registered, that the notification contains sufficient information data, and that representatives comply with the obligations related to the preparation and possession of safety data sheets.
Preparation of conclusions from the implemented projects
In addition to launching new projects, the Forum is working on conclusions resulting from the projects carried out in previous years. The analysis of the results concerns, for example: testing the presence of restricted substances in cosmetics or analysis of the correctness of the content of safety data sheets.
The Enforcement Forum is constantly working to maintain the safety of chemical products in Europe. In March 2025, another meeting of the working groups is planned to discuss the progress of ongoing projects, as well as the designation of new ones, which will be directly reflected in the inspections of chemical products.
The Construction Products Regulation (EU) 2024/3110 introduces significant updates to the marking of construction products within the European Union, emphasizing sustainability, digitalization, and enhanced transparency.
The revised regulation introduces several crucial objectives:
CE Marking and Environmental Performance
Under the new regulation, the CE marking now encompasses both technical and environmental performances, aligning with the updated safety and sustainability requirements. Manufacturers are required to substantiate environmental claims and reflect them in the product’s Digital Product Passport (DPP).
Declaration of Performance and Conformity (DoPC)
Compliance mandates that Declarations of Performance and Conformity include environmental data, such as climate impact and technical specifications. This information must be verified and made accessible to regulatory authorities through the DPP. Until new standards are developed, existing methodologies and standards remain acceptable.
Digital Product Passports (DPP)
A notable innovation is the introduction of Digital Product Passports, which serve as digital repositories of product specifications and environmental data. This facilitates access to information for regulatory authorities and product users, such as architects and builders.
Implementation Timeline
The regulation entered into force on January 7, 2025. Most provisions will apply from January 8, 2026, with specific articles and annexes becoming applicable from January 7, 2025, and others from January 8, 2027.
These changes aim to harmonize the rules for marketing construction products in the European Union, promoting sustainability, innovation, and transparency in the sector.
About EU Regulation 2024/3110
Scope of Application
The Regulation applies to all construction products intended for permanent incorporation into buildings and infrastructure across the European Economic Area (EEA). It covers:
Under CPR 2024/3110, construction products must meet stringent performance and safety criteria to ensure their suitability for use in the European market. These requirements include durability, mechanical resistance, fire safety, hygiene, health and environmental protection, energy efficiency, and sustainable resource use. Manufacturers must conduct thorough testing and provide documentation verifying compliance with these essential requirements before placing products on the market.
The basis for compliance may include, among other things:
the use of specific materials which can be specified also in terms of their chemical composition;
safety during transport, installation, maintenance, use, dismantling, and end-of-life treatment, including reuse and recycling – applies for both professionals and non-professionals;
products appearance such as designing, manufacturing and packaging to address inherent safety risks—such as chemical risks from leaking or leaching—throughout their life cycle, following state-of-the-art practices and in compliance with relevant Union laws
The draft CoRAP contains 31 substances, including 13 new substances compared to the current CoRAP 2024-2026; 8 substances are being planned for evaluation in 2025, including two groups of 2 substances, 15 substances for evaluation in 2026 and 5 substances for evaluation in 2027. Three are proposed to be withdrawn.
Reaction mass of Octyl-3-[3- tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-5-(5- chloro-2H-benzotriazole-2- yl)phenyl]propionate and 2- Ethylhexyl-3-[3-tert-butyl-4- hydroxy-5-(5-chloro-2Hbenzotriazole-2- yl)phenyl]propionate
The workshop was held on 28-29 October 2024, hosted by ECHA.
The event provided an opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders in the battery industry. Key highlights were the discussions on identifying substances of concern, elements to be considered for potential risk management, waste and recycling strategies and socio-economic aspects.
Helsinki, 7 January 2025 – The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has announced a significant update to the EU’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, with 40 additional hazardous chemicals being added to Annex I. This move mandates exporters to notify authorities about their intention to export these chemicals, with the requirement coming into effect on 1 March 2025.
The newly added chemicals, which now form part of the regulation, include 35 pesticides and 5 industrial chemicals. Among the most notable substances are abamectin, difenacoum, fenpropimorph, dimethomorph, triadimenol,andpenflufen.
From March, EU exporters must notify their intention to export these chemicals to non-EU countries before shipping. In most cases, they will also need explicit consent from the importing country. Additionally, cyanamideand warfarin will now require explicit consent alongside the standard notification.
A subgroup of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), has also been added to Annex V, which includes chemicals banned for export from the EU.
The update reflects the EU’s commitment to controlling hazardous chemicals in international trade and protecting global health and the environment. ECHA’s ePIC tool has been updated to assist exporters with the new requirements.
EU REACH Candidate List will be enlarged by 6 substances:
Octamethyltrisiloxane (EC 203-497-4, CAS 107-51-7)
O,O,O-triphenyl phosphorothioate (EC 209-909-9, CAS 597-82-0)
Reaction mass of: triphenylthiophosphate and tertiary butylated phenyl derivatives (EC 421-820-9, CAS 192268-65-8)
Perfluamine (EC 206-420-2, CAS 338-83-0)
Tris(4-nonylphenyl, branched and linear) phosphite
6-[(C10-C13)-alkyl-(branched, unsaturated)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl] hexanoic acid (EC 701-118-1, CAS 2156592-54-8)
Legal Obligations and Consequences for Companies
The addition to the Candidate List imposes new legal obligations on companies under the REACH regulation:
Information Requirements: If an article contains any SVHC from the Candidate List at a concentration above 0.1% (weight by weight), suppliers must inform customers and consumers on safe use practices. Consumers have the right to inquire about the presence of SVHCs in products.
SCIP: Under the Waste Framework Directive, companies must notify ECHA if their articles contain SVHCs at concentrations above 0.1%. This information is then added to ECHA’s SCIP database (Substances of Concern In Products), ensuring traceability.
Notification to ECHA: Importers and producers of articles must notify ECHA if their products contain any SVHC within six months of its inclusion on the list.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Updates: EU and EEA suppliers must update the SDS for any product that contains substances from the Candidate List, whether in pure form or in mixtures.
Moreover, products containing SVHCs are ineligible for the EU Ecolabel, which promotes products with reduced environmental impact.
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