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).

On November 25, 2024, China's Ministry of Ecological Environment (MEE) announced the addition of a batch of 6 substances that fulfill the requirements of existing substances into the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC).

The Global Chemical Inventory Search (GCIS) developed by CIRS Group supports users in searching the latest updates to global chemical inventories by entering a CAS number or substance name in Chinese or English. It also provides obligation analysis for global chemical compliance. CIRS continuously monitors changes to global chemical inventories and regularly updates ChemRadar, to try and help users understand more about the compliance obligations of their substances.

The UA CLP will come into effect six months after its publication, on November 15 2024. Products that have been placed on the market before November 15, 2024, even if they do not comply with current technical regulations, can continue to maintain their status until November 14, 2025, which is a one-year transition period.

The European Commission has announced its intention to withdraw approval for the use of ethylene oxide as a surface disinfectant in biocidal products, citing that the chemical's applications do not align with the scope of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR). This decision is set to impact the regulatory status of ethylene oxide under the EU's stringent health and environmental standards.