Simplification of certain requirements and procedures for chemical products

PURPOSE: to amend certain Regulations as regards simplification of certain requirements and procedures for chemical products.

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the chemical industry is one of the most strategically significant sectors in the EU, forming the backbone of numerous industrial ecosystems and playing a pivotal role in innovation, employment, and sustainable growth

Regulatory burdens are one of the two top problems named by businesses operating in the EU when it comes to the investment climate.

The Single Market strategy, adopted on 21 May 2025, reiterated the commitment for more simplification and readiness for immediate actions to reduce red tape. It also underlined the need to ensure that rules on labelling balance the need to be clearly understood by consumers with the need to reduce market barriers and burden for industry.

The findings of the 2024 Draghi report indicated that the increasing number and complexity of rules risks limiting room for manoeuvre for Union businesses and preventing them from remaining competitive. Against this background, certain procedures and requirements laid down in Regulations (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products and (EU) 2019/1009 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products should be simplified and unnecessary regulatory burdens should be removed, while maintaining the same level of protection of human health and of the environment.

This proposal is part of the sixth simplification omnibus to reduce compliance costs and administrative burden for the chemical industry while ensuring strong protection of human health and the environment.

CONTENT: this proposal seeks to simplify and streamline certain requirements and procedures for chemical products identified as particularly burdensome by industry and authorities.

The proposed amendments concern the following acts:

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures

- simplify and relax the formatting rules established for the labelling of hazardous chemicals;

- clarify the rules on exemptions from labelling requirements for small packages and the rules on labelling of fuel pumps;

- reduce the scope of the provisions of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on advertising and distance selling to products placed on the market for the general public;

- ease the advertising obligations for hazardous substances and mixtures, by reducing the amount of information to be provided;

- remove the six-month deadline for updating the label;

- expand the use of digital labelling, allowing more information to be provided on the digital label only.

Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products

- the procedure for inclusion of colorants, preservatives and UV filters in the relevant Annexes IV, V and VI of the Regulation will be established to facilitate the process and accelerate the use of new cosmetic ingredients;

- the existing procedure for derogation from the generic ban on the use of substances classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic (CMR) in cosmetic products will be explained in more detail;

- the abolition of pre-notifications of cosmetic products containing nanomaterials, currently required in addition to notification of cosmetic products to the Commission, and of redundant reporting obligation on competent authorities will reduce administrative burden on business and Member States.

Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 on fertiliser products

- remove the specific extended REACH registration requirement set out in the Fertilising Products Regulation, so that ‘standard’ REACH provisions on chemical safety would also apply to substances used in EU fertilising products;

- empower the Commission to introduce criteria and a methodology for the assessment of micro-organisms by manufacturers and notified bodies;

- remove the ‘unbundling clause’ in Article 43 of Fertilising Products Regulation, which requires the Commission to adopt separate delegated acts in respect of each component material category;

- further digitise the regulation on fertiliser products.