Today, the European Council has approved plans to postpone rules on the labelling and packaging of chemicals to January 2028 – a move hoped to give businesses more time and legal certainty when implementing changes.
Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 amends the previous Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and covers the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances.
Among other measures, it details the layer of packaging a label can legally be attached to; the necessary font size, colour, and distance of a label, all without compromising the transition into recycled materials; the permitted placement of a digital label, where applicable; and the permitted use of fold-out labels only if a pack’s shape, form or size prevents a traditional alternative.
While co-legislators adopted the amendment with no changes to the Commission’s proposal, its original dates of application were feared to cause ‘significant burden’ for relevant parties – especially SMEs, which faced deadlines of July 2026 and January 2027.
Now the regulation’s entry into force has been postponed under the Commission’s Omnibus VI package, which intends to reduce administrative burdens on businesses. The extra time is also hoped to give co-legislators more time to agree on other ‘substantive’ changes to the text, with the Council agreeing on a mandate on 5th November 2028.
“The EU’s chemical sector is a cornerstone of Europe’s economy, driving innovation, growth and thousands of high-value jobs across the internal market,” commented Marie Bjerre, minister for European Affairs of Denmark. “With today’s stop-the-clock-adoption, we ensure time and legal certainty for businesses while we make the necessary simplifications that will strengthen the sector’s competitiveness and maintain high standards of safety.”
In similar news, the European Parliament recently commenced a second reading of Regulation 2023/0373(COD), which aims to establish a mandatory and standardized methodology for measuring pellet losses across the supply chain. While it aims to reduce pellet losses by 54-74% compared to the baseline, organizations like the Rethink Plastic Alliance have questioned its slow implementation and exemptions for SMEs.
Additionally, an open letter signed by Nestlé, Mars Wrigley, Ferrero, and Tony’s Chocolonely has encouraged the Commission not to postpone the EU Deforestation Regulation for a second time. In the signatories’ view, further delays “puts at risk the preservation of forests worldwide, will accelerate climate change impacts, and undermines trust in Europe’s regulatory commitments.”
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