By IISD's SDG Knowledge Hub, May 27, 2020

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released an online service to give companies free access to an overview of 40 pieces of EU chemicals legislation that they may need to comply with. The EU Chemicals Legislation Finder (EUCLEF) enables companies to find relevant information on the ways in which their substances are regulated and provide them with a better understanding of their obligations.

An ECHA press release explains that the first version of the finder covers legislation that addresses, among others, air and water quality, worker protection, pesticides, food contact materials, cosmetic products, and toy safety, and that an additional 16 pieces of legislation are expected to be added in 2021.

The finder, which is integrated into ECHA’s chemicals database, is particularly geared towards small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), helping them save time and money so they can focus on innovation and growing their companies.

Users can employ the database to search for information on substances and find applicable laws. Each piece of legislation includes a summary of relevant information, including the scope, obligations, exemptions, regulatory activities, and lists of impacted substances, together with links to the full legal texts in all EU languages. A video tutorial helps users find chemicals with the EUCLEF. 

Companies will also be able to ask questions about EU chemicals legislation covered by EUCLEF through a dedicated regulatory support service. The EU Programme for Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs is funding the online service. [EU Chemicals Legislation Finder] [ECHA Press Release]