Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/6/14

7 June 2013

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 458/2013

European Union (EU)* : Classification, Labelling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 538/2012 of 11 July 2012, the European Commission (the Commission) has adopted a Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures. Details are set out in Commission Regulation (EU) 487/2013 (the Regulation), which can be accessed through the following link:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:149:0001:0059:EN:PDF

DETAILS

2.Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 harmonises the provisions and criteria for the classification and labelling of substances, mixtures and certain specific articles within the Union. In view that there are several amendments concerning new hazard categories for chemically unstable gases and non-flammable aerosols as well as further rationalization of precautionary statements resulted from changes adopted in December 2010 by the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), it is necessary to adapt the technical and scientific provisions in the Annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 to GHS accordingly.

3.To allow operators to adapt to the newly-introduced classification, labelling and packaging provisions, this Regulation shall apply in respect of substances from 1 December 2014 and in respect of mixtures from 1 June 2015.

ENQUIRIES

4.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5556.

Yours faithfully,
 

(Miss Anita WONG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.