Consumer Products | Monthly bulletin | April 2022

Eurofins newsflash Consumer Products

Chemical | Cosmetics & Personal Care | Softlines & Leather | Toys & Childcare | COVID-19

Chemical

Europe

REACH news- Corrigendum to REACH Annex XVII Entry 68

On 10^th March 2022, the European Union (EU) issued the following: Corrigendum to Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1297 of 4 August 2021 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards perfluorocarboxylic acids containing 9 to 14 carbon atoms in the chain (C9-C14 PFCAs), their salts and C9-C14 PFCA-related substances.

The corresponding time node has been revised, in paragraph 10 of the table in the entry 68 on the page 33, ‘From 25 August 2024, the concentration limit shall be 100 ppb for the sum of C9-C14 PFCAs, in fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers that contain perfluoroalkoxy groups.’ was replaced with ‘From 26 August 2024, the concentration limit shall be 100 ppb for the sum of C9-C14 PFCAs in fluoroplastics and fluoroelastomers that contain perfluoroalkoxy groups.’

REACH-EN-FORCE -10: Operational phase for consumer products

In 2020, The Enforcement Forum agreed that the enforcement project planned for 2022 (REF-10) would focus not only on checks related to articles, but also to mixtures.

Inspectors will check that the products comply with restrictions for selected hazardous substances under REACH and restrictions for the presence of persistent organic pollutants defined under the POPs Regulation. Another point which will be checked is the correct communication in the supply chain about hazardous substances contained in articles or mixtures.

Specific types of materials, such as rubber, plastic or textiles, in articles can be controlled for several REACH or POPs requirements, which will broaden the scope of controls and strengthen the protection of EU citizens and the environment. The inspections are being conducted in 2022 and the report is expected at the end of 2023.

For mixtures, the inspections will focus on the classification of detergents and cleaning.

Recent updates regarding REACH

The below table gives a summary of some recent updates (non-exhaustive) regarding REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006:

Summary of the Most Recent Updates
Date	Subject	Link
16/02/2022	The European Commission has published the summary of the REACH Committee meeting.	For more information, consult the European commission website here.
23/02/2022	Proposal to ban ‘forever chemicals’ in firefighting foams throughout the EU.	For more information, consult the ECHA website here.
28/02/2022	Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/326 of 24 February 2022 amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2019/961 authorising a provisional measure taken by the French Republic in accordance with Article 129 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) to restrict the use and the placing on the market of certain wood treated with creosote and other creosote-related substances.	For more information, consult the European commission website here.
04/03/2022	Consultation of the 27^th update of the REACH Candidate List: N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide (CAS number 924-42-5; EC number 213-103-2) The public consultation will end on 19^th April 2022.	For more information, consult the ECHA website here.
02/03/2022	Impacts of REACH authorisation of trichloroethylene This report takes a detailed look at the impact of REACH authorisation on trichloroethylene (TCE), arising from its inclusion in the Candidate List in 2010 until January 2022. The need to obtain authorisation has significantly reduced the use of TCE. The annual use of TCE in the EU has dropped more than 95% in the past 12 years.	For more information, consult the ECHA website here.
02/03/2022	Publication of nanopinions: Are nanoplastics hazardous? What is the way forward to overcome the uncertainties of risk assessment?	For more information, consult the EUON website here.
16/03/2022	Publication of Mapping of potentially harmful chemicals on target to meet 2027 goal.	For more information, consult the ECHA website here.

Other interesting links about REACH from ECHA’s website

Other interesting links about CLP from ECHA’s website

Regulatory proposals notified

The table below summarises recent regulatory proposals made to the European Commission (Non-exhaustive):

Countries

Notification number

Title

Denmark

2022/109/DK

Order on e-labelling of pre-packaged products.

The rules are newly issued pursuant to Act No 799 of 2020 on products and market surveillance with a view to harmonising product rules under this Act.

Technical and Official publications

Below table includes some recent publications related to Chemicals:

Entity	Date	Publication
European Commission	10/03/2022	European Published initiative: Chemicals regulation - update of EU rules for test methods One of its accompanying acts of The EU’s REACH regulation – Regulation 440/2008 – lists the approved methods for testing chemicals. This initiative will add a number of new/updated methods to that list, which have the potential to reduce the amount of animal testing using chemicals.
ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail) (France)	11/02/2022	Encouraging formaldehyde substitution in several occupational sectors
Ministry of ecological transition (France)	04/02/2022	Notice to economic operators on the obligation to communicate information on substances contained in articles, pursuant to Articles 7.2 and 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 REACH was published.
ANSES (Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail) (France)	31/01/2022	Publication of the opinion relating to the expert appraisal work carried out in 2021 by the Agency concerning: classification activities on chemical substances governed by the REACH regulation within the framework of EC regulation n°1272/2008 relating to the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures, known as the “CLP” regulation.
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)	17/12/2021	Guidance Document on Scientific criteria for grouping chemicals into assessment groups for human risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals

Recent updates regarding UK REACH and GB CLP

The below table gives a summary of the most recent updates (non-exhaustive) regarding UK REACH and GB CLP:

Summary of the Most Recent Updates
Date	Subject	Link
01/03/2022	Updating the GB mandatory classification and labelling list (GB MCL List).	HSE GB CLP publication table can be consulted here.

Switzerland

Closer to European chemicals legislation

On 1^st February 2022, several amendments related to substances and mixtures entered into force, with the aim of aligning Swiss legislation with Chemical European legislation (REACH). Below a summary table with the main takeaways from these amendments:

Publication date	Title	Amendments
01/01/2022	RO 2022 1 Ordinance on the reduction of risks associated with the use of particularly dangerous substances, preparations and objects (Ordinance on the reduction of risks associated with chemical products, ORRChim) FR, DE, IT	Adoption of the list of CMR category 1A or 1B substances in Regulation (EU) 2021/2204 Compliance date: 01/03/2022 - the list of 17 CMR substances indicated in this amendment 17/12/2022 – the rest of CMR substances in reference of European Regulation (EU) Nº 2021/2204
31/12/2021	RO 2021 927 Ordinance on Protection against Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Chemicals Ordinance, OChim) FR, DE, IT	It expands the number of Candidate List SVHCs from 211 to 219 (FR, DE, IT).
Note: For more information, please consult the official publication on Swiss chemical Ordinances below: The Ordinance on the reduction of risks related to chemicals (ORRChim 814.81) (FR, DE, IT) The Chemicals Ordinance (ChemO 813.11) (FR, DE, IT)

TSCA PIP (3:1) - EPA further extends the compliance date

In March 2022, the USA Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) issued a final rule to further extend the compliance date applicable to the prohibition on processing and distribution in commerce of certain PIP (3:1) containing articles, and the PIP (3:1) used to make those articles, until October 31, 2024.

This final rule has been effective since 8^th March, 2022.

For more information, click here.

Listed PFOA as chemical that causes cancer under California proposition 65

On 25^th February 2022, Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (CAS RN 335-67-1) has been added to the list of chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer (California Proposition 65) by The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA).

Businesses have a timeframe to accommodate the requirements of Prop 65: 12 months for articles (clear and reasonable warning before exposure) and 20 months for the prohibition from discharging into sources of drinking water.

For more information, consult the official publication here.

Thailand

Proposal to add PFOA under Hazardous Substances Act

On 9^th February 2022, the Department of Industrial Works of the Ministry of Industry in Thailand issued a draft related to The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and, more specifically, on perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts.

These substances have been added to Annex A of POPs and Thailand, as a member state of the Stockholm Convention, must operate in compliance with the requirements to control substances.

The purpose of this is an addition of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to the list of hazardous substances under Hazardous Substance Act B.E. 2535 (1992) through a public hearing process.

Consult the official publication here (in Thai).

Canada

Public consultation related to mandatory labelling for chemicals in consumer products

On 4^th March 2022, the Government of Canada opened public consultations on Supply chain transparency and consumer product labelling.

Environment and Climate Change Canada and Health Canada have launched these consultations on improved and mandatory labelling for certain consumer products, such as cosmetics, cleaning products, and flame retardants in upholstered furniture.

This initiative intends to help identify how to address both the growing public demand for readily accessible information on chemicals in consumer products and the need for better ingredient disclosure to enable the informed substitution of toxic chemicals with safer alternatives. Another point to be reviewed in this consultation is how information on chemical ingredients in various consumer products should be disclosed, for example, through labelling or via links to online information.

By spring 2023, the Government will bring forward options to require mandatory labelling of certain products.

The public consultation was closed on April 1, 2022.

For more information, consult the Government Canada website here.

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Cosmetics & Personal Care

Discover the impact of tattoo inks

Tattoo inks consist of pigments and carrier combined with additives and impurities. They are widely used in tattoos, permanent make-up, corrective medicine and other such activities.

Since the status of tattoo inks is quite complex and controversial (borderline products, side effects, application area…), the regulatory and toxicological landscape and associated tests vary from one country to another, with the main concern being their risks to health.

Substances or mixtures for tattooing purposes must be compliant with the REACH Regulation [entry 75 of Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006)]. However, there are currently no binding criteria according to which a safety assessment of tattoo inks should be carried out. Tattooing products are not subject to authorisation prior to their commercialisation. There is also a lack of suitable testing methods and data for health risk assessments.

The Eurofins testing strategy follows the general approach of initially collecting and evaluating existing data and then providing missing information through analytical, microbiological, in vitro and clinical testing.

1. Analytical Testing

Specifications of the ingredients of tattoo inks and the identification of the impurities, heavy metals, MOSH, and nanomaterials present are essential for risk assessment. This data is also needed for the planning of toxicological studies and their evaluation.

2. Microbiological Testing – Sterility Testing

Tattoo inks contaminated with microorganisms can cause infections and lead to serious health issues when introduced to the skin during tattooing.

3. In vitro studies

These are based on the EDQM document 'Safer Tattooing' of 201734 and on the REACH and CLP Regulations. For tattoo pigments, tests shall be carried out for the following endpoints: eye irritation/eye damage, skin irritation/skin corrosion, phototoxicity, skin sensitisation, genotoxicity, photogenotoxicity, cytotoxicity, carcinogenicity, etc…. Our experts also have the skills required to direct your test plan on non-cosmetic products.

4. Clinical studies

These are primarily used to mimic the consumer’s response to the tattoo inks and compare the safety requirements to the typical local and systemic consumer exposure to the product. Our experts will guide you in selecting the most appropriate tests.

Safety and Counterfeits

Counterfeiting of cosmetic products creates a shortfall for manufacturers of around €7 billion per year at EU level. In addition to the financial aspects and brand recognition, counterfeit cosmetics present risks to the consumer due to the lack of safety assessments (microbiological control, dermatological control, composition control) and control of the manufacturing conditions.

Several analytical methods exist to support brands to prove the risks linked to counterfeit products and get the support of authorities to remove these products from the market. Those methods can be applied to any kind of product, such as make-up, skin care and hair care.

Depending on the client’s needs, Eurofins experts will set up tailor-made test plans to compare counterfeit products to the original product including:

Microbiological controls combined with preservatives analysis,
Analytical screening of restricted or forbidden substances,
Label review, toxicological assessment,
Packaging assessment: material determination, size and shape check, migration studies.
Analysis of specific ingredient categories in the formula

Materials exempted from REACH in the context of microplastics

According to the ECHA, specific derogations have been included in the restriction proposal where the polymers are not expected to be emitted to the environment in the form of a microplastic or in order to avoid double regulation.

Some criteria have been set out to clarify that (bio)degradable polymers are exempt from the restriction on the basis that they do not contribute to microplastic concerns, even though they could remain in the environment for some time after use/release. The derogation is required to ensure that the restriction is targeted to the substances contributing to the identified risk.

In such cases it will be sufficient to demonstrate that the polymer meets the suggested criteria. In practice this may mean testing the polymer(s) prior to the formation of the particle.

At Eurofins Cosmetics & Personal Care, our network of companies can help you to define the regulatory and compliance framework that your products would need to comply with and thereby provide services, including testing biodegradability methods for microplastics under GLP or ISO 17025, in order to place a compliant product on the market.

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Softlines & Leather

Europe

Microplastics pollution – European public consultation

Please find below a table summarising recent public consultation (non-exhaustive):

Feedback period

About this initiative

22 February 2022 - 17 May 2022

Microplastics pollution – measures to reduce its impact on the environment

This initiative aims to tackle microplastics unintentionally released into the environment. It will focus on labelling, standardisation, certification and regulatory measures for the main sources of these plastics.

Standards updates

The below table summarises the most recent standard updates and upcoming dates of withdrawal (non-exhaustive):

(*) Date of withdrawal: latest date by which national standards conflicting with an EN (and HD for CENELEC) have to be withdrawn.

CEN
Reference	Title	*Date of withdrawal ()**	Supersedes
EN ISO 19574:2022	Footwear and footwear components -Qualitative test method to assess antifungal activity (growth test) (ISO 19574:2022)	2022-08-31

France

Mandatory requirement of EPR obligations: IDU number

From 1^st January 2022, any producer who fulfills the obligations of REP must have a Unique Identification Number (IDU).

The IDU is a proof that the individual is indeed registered as required by the AGEC law (cf. article L. 541-10-13 of the environment code) and fulfills the REP obligations (cf. . article L. 541-10-10 of the environment code).

This unique identifier is generated by the French Agency for the Ecological Transition (ADEME) through the SYDEREP registration.

ADEME uses it to facilitate the monitoring and control of compliance with EPR obligations incumbent on these producers and to identify producers in an individual system or members of an eco-organisation.

The IDU must be indicated in the document relating to the general conditions of sale or, if the individual does not have one, in any other contractual document communicated to the buyer (cf. article R. 541- 173 of the environmental code). Any producer with a website must communicate their UDI according to article 19 of law no. 2004-575 of June 21, 2004 on confidence in the digital economy.

Some producers register in an eco-organisation, which can receive and process tax returns, collect contributions and provide guidance on environmental labeling for the French market.

Donating process of unsold non-food items

On 15^th February 2022, the Minister of Economy, Finances and Reliance published information about the process of donating unsold non-food items.

Since 1^st January 2022, whether you are a producer, importer or distributor, the anti-waste law for a circular economy (known as the AGEC law) obliges you to reuse or recycle unsold non-food products. Only unsold hygiene and childcare products must be donated as a priority. However, many other products can be donated, for example:

Hygiene products: soaps, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shower gels, etc.
Cleaning products: detergents, dishwashing products, WC products, etc.
Childcare items: nappies, cleaning wipes, strollers, etc.
Toys and games: stuffed animals, dolls, early learning games, etc.
School supplies: notebooks, binders, pens, calculators, etc.
Small household appliances: irons, kettles, coffee machines, etc.
Textiles and household linen: duvets, blankets, sleeping bags, etc.
Household equipment: crockery, cutlery, kitchen utensils, etc.

For more information, consult the Minister of the economy, finances and reliance website here.

Technical publications

The latest publications by several French entities related to textile products and environmental:

Date

Publication

From 25/01/2022 to 14/02/2022

Public consultation by French ministry of ecologic transition:

Draft decree relating to the extension to textile decoration elements of the sector with extended responsibility of the producer of furnishing elements and carrying various amendments to the environmental code relating to waste.

09/03/02022

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) news:

Chemicals in textiles and footwear: a proposal for regulations that offer more protection

Vigil’Anses article: "New chemicals involved in skin allergies related to clothing and footwear" ( In French).

Opinion on a “Non-risk assessment summarising two stages of the biomedical study on the safety of footwear and textile clothing” (in French)

Portugal

New definitions for Leather products

On 4^th January 2022, Decree-Law No. 3/2022 was published in Diário da República No. 2/2022 on use of the term "leather" and its conformity.

The growing diversity of products that use leather as a raw material is increasingly faced with the availability of synthetic products on the market that give rise to erroneous interpretations of their composition, distorting competition and the information that consumers receive.

This Decree defines the term "leather", establishes the conditions for its use and verification of the conformity of leather products with the latest version of the EN/ISO 17131 Standard and the EN 15987 Standard.

This decree law entered into force on January 1, 2022, but the materials and products placed on the market before entry into force of this Decree Law, can be sold until 31^st December 2022.

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Toys & Childcare

Europe

New European Standardisation Strategy 2022

On 2^nd February 2022, the European Commission presented the new European Standardisation Strategy, which strengthens the key role of technical standards for a resilient, green and digital European single market.

The strategy reaffirms the important role of the CEN, CENELEC and ETSI European standardisation organisations and the principle of national delegation in developing standards that facilitate the maintenance of the Internal Market and the deployment of Digital and Green Transitions.

The European Strategy also give importance to the need for European members leader the development of international standards in ISO and IEC.

Together with a presentation of the Strategy, there was also a presentation of the Proposed amendment of Regulation 1025/2012 on standardisation, and a report on its application and the Annual Union work programme for European standardisation for 2022.

On 4^th March 2022, the European commission published the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the proposal for a General Product Safety Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Directive 87/357/EEC and Directive 2001/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. The official publication can be found here.

France

Alignment of fragrance requirements for toys with European Directive

On 17^th February 2022, The French Ministry of Economy published the following order:

Order of January 7, 2022 amending the order of February 24, 2010 setting the terms of application of decree no. 2010-166 of February 22, 2010 relating to the safety of toys.

This order requires the labeling of certain fragrance substances and prohibits other fragrance substances in toys. It replaces Commission Directive (EU) 2020/2088 of 11^th December 2020, amending Annex II to Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the labeling of fragrance substances in toys, Commission Directive (EU) 2020/2089 of 11 December 2020 amending Annex II to Directive 2009/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the prohibition of allergenic fragrance substances in toys.

It will enter into force on 5^th July 2022.

Condition of use of the terms “reconditioned” or “reconditioned product”

On 18^th February 2022, the French Authorities published the following Decree:

Decree No. 2022-190 of February 17, 2022 relating to the conditions of use of the terms "reconditioned" and "reconditioned product"

The decree determines the conditions of application of article L. 122-21-1 of the consumer code, which provides a legal framework for the use of the terms “reconditioned” and “reconditioned product”. As such, it reserves the use of these terms for second-hand products and specifies the conditions under which they may be used, with regard to the performance of tests, or even the requirement of one or more technical interventions to ensure the safety and functionality of the product. Furthermore, in order to prevent the consumer from being misled about the characteristics of a reconditioned product, this decree prohibits any reference to a new product and reserves the use of the words "reconditioned in France" to reconditioning operations that are carried out entirely on national territory. These rules also apply to spare parts. Sellers of this type of products, including when they are offered for sale from an online interface, are affected by this decree.

It entered into force on January 1, 2022.

Update of safety requirements for football, handball, field and indoor hockey and basketball goals

On 5^th March 2022, the French Authorities published the following Notice:

Notice to manufacturers, importers, sellers, distributors, lessors, operators and managers of football, handball, field and indoor hockey and basketball goals relating to the application of articles R. 322- 19 to R. 322-26 of the sports code

In the appendix, this opinion includes a list of references of the standards mentioned in articles R. 322-22 and R. 322-25 of the sports code.

The standards adopted by the national standardisation institutes of the Member States of the European Union and of the States part of the agreement establishing the European Economic Area or of Turkey, replacing the corresponding European standards, are recognised as equivalent.

This notice cancels and replaces the notice published in the Official Journal of the French Republic of May 18, 2016 (NOR: VJSV1612278V), relating to the application of Decree No. 96-495 of June 4, 1996.

Equipment that complies with the standards published in 2016 may be placed on the market within a period of one year from the publication of this notice and marketed while stocks last.

Approval of an eco-organisation for sporting and leisure articles

On 12^th February 2022, The Minister of the Ecological Transition and the Minister of Economy, Finances and Reliance published the following Order:

Order of 31 January 2022 approving an eco-organization of the extended responsibility sector of the producer of sporting and leisure articles.

This order indicates the approval of an eco-organisation in the sector, with extended responsibility for the producer of sporting and leisure articles.

According to the principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR), the management of waste from sports and leisure articles, defined in article R. 543-330 of the environment code, must be ensured by the producers of said items. To fulfill their obligations, the producres must either set up an approved individual system or join an approved collective scheme. This decree approves the eco-organism ECOLOGIC for a period of six years. The order is issued pursuant to article L. 541-10 of the environment code.

Update to Children’s furniture standards

On 15^th December 2021, The Furniture Industry Research Association, in conjunction with the Furniture Retail Quality Group (FRQG), published the Children's Domestic Furniture Industry Standard FIRA/FRQG C001: 2021 and Children’s Domestic Tables and Desks: Industry Standard FIRA/FRQG C003: 2021.

These Standards are applicable to all types of domestic seating, tables and storage furniture for use by children from three years old to 12 years old.

These forms part of a suite of standards covering children’s furniture which also includes:

FIRA/FRQG C004: 2016 Furniture - Children’s domestic furniture – Storage furniture – Requirements for strength, stability and durability

These standards replace their 2016 versions, which have been withdrawn.

Switzerland

Alignment of toys requirements with the European Toy Safety Directive

In February 2022, Switzerland published Official Collection RO 2022 125 to revise its Toys Ordinance. This amendment aligns its chemical requirements with those of the European Toy Safety Directive. The main changes are:

Requirements for allergenic fragrances to be consistent with Directives (EU) 2020/2088 and (EU) 2020/2089.
Restricts aniline in textile and leather materials and finger paint toys.
List of toy safety standards.

This Ordinance came into force on March 15, 2022. Toys that do not comply with the amendment can still be imported and manufactured according to the old law until March 14, 2023.

For more information, consult the official publication here (French, German and Italian versions).

Canada

Updated methodologies of The Consumer Product Safety Program

On 10^th March 2022, Health Canada announced that the following test methodologies have been updated in Consumer Product Safety Program:

Type of methods	Title	Effective date
Chemistry	Determination of Leachable Arsenic (As), Selenium (Se), Cadmium (Cd), Antimony (Sb), and Barium (Ba) in Applied Coatings (C03)	2022-01-25
Chemistry	Determination of para-Phenylenediamine (PPD) in cosmetics and similar consumer products by GC-MS (C42)	2022-11-09
Mechanical	Sharp Edges (M00.2)	2021-12-07
Mechanical	Flexible Film Bags (M03)	2021-12-01
Mechanical	Playpens (M08)	2022-01-12
Mechanical	Cradles (M12.2)	2021-12-07
Flammability	Flammability of textiles (F01)	2022-02-14

For more information, consult the Government of Canada website here.

China

Revision of GB 21027-2020 “Request in common use of security for student’ s articles”

The Ministry of Industrialisation and Information of the People's Republic of China has organised and completed a draft of the national standard "General Requirements for the Safety of Student Supplies" and publicly solicited comments. The deadline is April 26, 2022.

Mandatory safety standard GB 21027-2020 was released on July 23, 2020 and officially implemented on February 1, 2022.

After the release of the new standard, according to feedback from enterprises and related industry personnel, some content is scheduled to be revised, mainly addressing:

Increased restriction on chlorinated paraffins
In order to maintain consistency with current industry standards, it will be clarified that picture books do not require brightness (whiteness)
Editorial Error Revision

For more information, please click here.

Hong Kong

Update to list of standards for toys and children’s products

On 18^th February 2022, the Government of the Hong Kong issued the notice L.N. 20 of 2022, which amends the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance (Schedules 1 and 2).

The main points are:

Update of the safety standards for toys (Schedule 1).
Update of six classes of children's products (“baby walking frames", "bottle teats", "bunk beds for domestic use", "children's high chairs and multi-purpose high chairs for domestic use", "children's paints" and "children's safety harnesses") (Schedule 2).

These standards are international standards or standards adopted by major economies.

The Notice will take effect on September 1, 2022.

South Korea

Amendment to the Special Act on the Safety of Children’s Products

On 3^rd February 2022, The South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy published The Act No. 18819, 2022 Special Safety of Children’s Products, which amends Act No. 12733, 2014 on cancellation of declaration of safety confirmation for children’s products, etc.

It adds new provisions for the revocation of the declaration of safety confirmation for children’s products. Specifically, if manufacturers or importers of children’s products subject to safety confirmation fall under the newly stipulated conditions, they may be subject to a disposition of ineffectiveness of the safety confirmation report or an order to prohibit the use of the safety confirmation mark or to improve it.

The new conditions are as follows:

A safety assurance report is made by false or other illegal means;
The product does not meet safety standards;
Failure to label or false confirmations of safety;

This act enters into force on 4^th August, 2022.

New Zealand

Inclined infant sleep products declared as unsafe goods

On 9^th February 2022, the New Zealand authority issued the following notice in the New Zealand Gazette:

Unsafe Goods (Inclined Infant Sleep Products) Indefinite Prohibition Notice 2022

This notice declares inclined infant sleep products to be unsafe goods and prohibits the supply, offer to supply, or advertise to supply, or import goods indefinitely from the date of publication of the notice in the New Zealand Gazette.

International

Regulatory proposals notified to WTO

The table below summarises the most recent notifications made to the World Trade Organization (WTO) (non-exhaustive):

Notification number	Countries	Title
G/TBT/N/DNK/126	Denmark	Executive order on toys The executive order regulates construction and marking of toys and contains among other things, chemical requirements on toys. The use of two categories of allergenic fragrances into Denmark’s national law on toy safety.
G/TBT/N/AUS/137	Australia	Review of the mandatory standard for toys for children up to and including 36 months - Draft instrument The new proposed standard is a simplified version and allows conformity with EN 71 and ASTM F963 with the aim of removing existing non-tariff barriers and reducing costs for double certification.
G/TBT/N/ISR/1242	Israel	SI 562 Part 7 - Safety of toys: Finger paints - Requirements and test methods This draft standard revision adopts the European Standard EN-71-7: 2014 and A3: April 2020, with a few changes, such as: The standard's normative references (Section 2); Adds translation of the definition of finger paints (Section 3); Adds new marking requirement to the primary packaging (Section 5.2.1.2). Both the old standard and this new, revised standard will apply from entry into force of this revision for a period of 6 months. During this time, products may be tested according to the old or new revised standard.
G/TBT/N/ISR/1236	Israel	SI 14988: Children's high chairs - Requirements and test methods This proposed standard revision adopts the European Standard EN 14988: July 2017, with a few national deviations. The major differences between the old version and this new revised draft standard are as follow: Combines the requirements of two parts into one standard; Adds a requirement for phthalates test (national section 6.b); Adds a requirement for formaldehyde test (national section 6.c); Adopts the requirements of the newly adopted European Standard. All requirements of the new proposed standard shall be declared mandatory, except the additional words required in the national section 4.1. Both the old standards and this new revised standard will apply from the entry into force of this proposed revision for a period of 6 months. During this time, products may be tested according to the old or the newly revised standards.

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COVID-19 | Testing, inspection and certification of products and devices

Eurofins labs at work worldwide to keep you healthy and safe

Eurofins has developed global leading testing, inspection, regulatory and certification services in the North America, Europe and Asia, focused on medical face masks, gloves and gowns, respiratory protective devices and equipment, its materials and components, as well as disinfectants and hand sanitizers, ensuring that PPE and Medical Devices manufacturers are able to provide the indispensable support needed in the fight against the coronavirus.

With a service offering that covers a scope spanning from product concept and risk assessment, Notified Body services, through chemical, biological, physical, mechanical or electrical testing, efficacy and performance evaluations and all the way down to product certification and quality controls, Eurofins strives to be the one-stop solution provider for its clients supplying PPEs and Medical Devices to the healthcare sector worldwide.

More information on this global service offer is available here.

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