The first EU Classification and Labelling Inventory published opens the way to safer use of hazardous substances. The Inventory compiles information from over 3 million notifications for more than 100.000 substances which allows identifying those that are potentially hazardous and may damage health and the environment.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released the first EU Classification and Labelling Inventory. This classification aims to provide industry, and in particular small companies, with easy access to information on the hazardousness of a given substance, facilitating the task to correctly classify and label substances and mixtures, as well as substitution of hazardous substances with less damaging alternatives where feasible.

The Inventory, which compiles information from over 3 million notifications for more than 100.000 substances submitted by manufacturers and importers in the framework of the Classification and Labelling Regulation (CLP) or registered under the REACH Regulation, allows identifying those that are potentially hazardous and may damage health and the environment.

According to the Agency, the inventory will greatly enhance the availability of information on the classification of all substances placed on the market in the EU. It is to be expected that the inventory contains divergent information for identical substances, as different classifications may have been notified by different companies for the same hazardous substance. It will therefore be a basis for companies to undertake efforts to agree on a uniform classification for a given substances as required by the CLP Regulation.