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The Introduction of GHS in European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA)

The following 28 countries are Member States of the EU:

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

The candidate countries Iceland, Montenegro, Serbia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey already started to implement current legislation.

Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are the members of the European Economic Area (EEA). The EEA Agreement allows them to participate in the EU Internal Market, while not assuming the full responsibilities of EU membership. All new Community legislation in areas covered by the EEA is integrated into the Agreement through an EEA Joint Committee decision and subsequently becomes part of the national legislation of the EEA EFTA States. This also applies to the EU Regulation which implements the GHS.

 

Focal points:

Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry

Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport

Environment Directorate-General

Directorate-General for Health and Consumers

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

 

Main relevant legislation:

For supply and use sectors:

Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006

REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 (Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals)

For transport of dangerous goods:

Within or between EU Member States: Directive 2008/68/EC on the inland transport of dangerous goods

For international transport of dangerous goods between EU and non-EU Member States: see, Implementation through international legal instruments, recommendations, codes and guidelines