Largest Database of Self-classified Substances

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched the Public Classification and Labelling (C&L) Inventory. The information are coming from REACH registrations and CLP (Regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures) notifications so far received by the Agency. Over three million submission records covering more than 90,000 chemical substances are now freely accessible. The Inventory represents the largest database of self-classified substances available globally. It will regularly be updated with incoming and updated C&L information.

The publication of the Inventory is a key milestone set out in the CLP Regulation and represents a significant step forward towards transparency on the physical, health or environmental hazards of chemical substances. It provides a wealth of information from Industry on how they have self-classified chemicals and shows how some companies have classified the same substance differently. ECHA has not filtered or quality checked the information provided.

The industry is encouraged to use the data as a common ground for discussions to reach agreement on the self-classification and labelling of hazardous substances. ECHA is planning to develop an IT platform to facilitate contacts among notifiers of chemicals to give them the opporunity to discuss reasons for differences and, where appropriate, agree on a uniform classification.

According to REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) all substances on the EU market ≥1,000 t on 1 December 2010 should have been notified before the 3 January 2011 and new substances should be notified within one month of their placement on the market.

The CLP Regulation requires all importers and manufacturers of hazardous substances placed on the EU market and all substances subject to registration under the REACH Regulation to notify the classification and labelling of their substances to ECHA within one month of its placement on the market.