CLP - Classification and Labelling
Regulation (EU) No 1272/2008, CLP, concerns the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances and mixtures which are released on the EU market. As of 1 June 2015, chemical products must be labelled in accordance with the requirements of the CLP Regulation.
Current EU public consultations
Recent consultations on harmonised classification and labelling
External link.
Consolidated text
(last consolidated on 1 March 2022)
Amendments and corrections
Not fully included in the consolidation of the CLP Regulation:
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/ 692 (ATP18) External link.
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/849 (ATP 17) External link.
All amendments and corrections to CLP are accessible in EUR-Lex. External link.
CLP in short
The CLP Regulation requires manufacturers, importers or downstream users of substances or mixtures to classify, label and package their hazardous chemicals appropriately before placing them on the market.
One of the main aims of the regulation is to determine whether a substance or mixture displays properties that lead to a hazardous classification. In this context, classification is the starting point for hazard communication.
The information about the hazards and how to protect oneself and the environment is communicated to users through package labelling with e.g. hazard pictograms, signal words and hazard and precautionary statements. This and more information is also provided to professional users in the safety data sheets.
Be aware that provisions under Union legislation other than the CLP Regulation (downstream legislation) may be triggered by the classification of your substance or mixture. The list of legislations where measures need to be taken based on hazard classification according to CLP is long and some examples given in Chapter 21 in ECHA’s “Introductory Guidance on the CLP Regulation”.
The CLP Regulation is legally binding across the EU Member States and directly applicable to all industrial sectors.
Other requirements in the CLP Regulation deals with e.g.:
- Notification to the Classification and Labelling Inventory.
- The need to generate a unique formula identifier (UFI) and to submit mixture information to the appointed bodies in the Member State which is used for emergency health response (the Poison Centres).
- Requests for alternative chemical names in mixtures.
- Harmonised classification and labelling
ECHA (the European chemicals agency) provide detailed information and guidance on all parts of the CLP Regulation through web pages, in published guidance documents and in Questions and Answers.
External links:
ECHA’s CLP web pages. External link.