The European Commission revised the Carcinogenic, Mutagenic, or toxic to Reproduction (CMR) substances list within REACH's Annex XVII , introducing three key changes.

The Ministry of Environment of South Korea recently submitted a notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding the revision of the Designation of Restricted Substance and Prohibited Substance. This revision aims to strengthen the restrictions on the use of lead and its compounds as well as methylene chloride and its mixtures, based on the hazard assessment under the Chemical Substances Registration and Evaluation Act and international regulatory trends, to protect human health and safety. WTO member countries can comment on this revision before January 13, 2025.

CIRS is to host a free webinar on Ukraine REACH and Brazil REACH on December 18, 2024.

In 2018, the EU's RoHS Directive assessment project Pack15 proposed adding seven substances, including TBBP-A and MCCPs, to the RoHS Directive's restricted list. On December 10, 2024, the EU abandoned its plan to restrict Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBP-A) and medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCPs) under the RoHS Directive.

The Biocidal Products Regulation Group (BPRS) is set to launch a new enforcement project (BEF-3) in January 2025.

On November 20, 2024, the European Union published Commission Regulation 2024/2865 (REGULATION (EU) 2024/2865 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL) in its Official Journal, amending the EU CLP Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labeling, and packaging of substances and mixtures). The amendment regulation takes effect on December 10, 2024, with most provisions becoming mandatory from July 1, 2026 (18 months), and the remaining provisions applicable from January 1, 2027 (24 months).

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has fully added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to its Substances of Very High Concern (ZZS) list. This action emphasizes the need for Dutch companies to significantly reduce PFAS use and emissions.

This article compiles the chemical regulation updates for November in Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

On December 3, 2024, the Ministry of Commerce of China announced that it will strengthen the control on dual-use items exported to the United States in order to safeguard the national security and interests, and to fulfill international non-proliferation obligations. The announcement takes effect immediately from the date of publication.

On November 25, 2024, China's Ministry of Ecological Environment (MEE) announced the addition of a batch of 30 registered substances that fulfill the requirements of existing substances into the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC).