European Parliament committees back Chemicals Omnibus to simplify CLP rules
The European Parliament’s Committees on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI) and on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) have voted in favour of the Chemicals Omnibus VI package, aimed at simplifying key EU chemicals legislation, including the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation.
The vote marks an important milestone in the legislative process, nine months after the European Commission presented its proposal to simplify the CLP Regulation, the Cosmetics Products Regulation and the Fertilising Products Regulation. The joint compromise adopted by ENVI and IMCO brings the Parliament a significant step closer to agreeing its position ahead of plenary.
The strong majority in favour of the package, secured by the two co‑rapporteurs, including broad support from across the political spectrum, demonstrates growing recognition of the need to simplify EU chemicals legislation while maintaining a high level of protection for human health and the environment. Greater clarity, predictability and workable timelines are essential for Europe’s chemical sector, its downstream users and ultimately consumers.
Commenting on the vote, Alexis Van Maercke, Director General of A.I.S.E., underlined the practical importance of the proposed changes. The European Commission estimates that CLP simplification measures alone could save around €330 million for European industry, with significant benefits for SMEs. Current formatting rules are often unworkable, particularly in countries with multilingual labelling requirements, sometimes forcing companies to increase packaging size or withdraw products from certain markets. The new provisions offer clearer rules and sufficient time to adapt labels, helping to avoid unnecessary waste while ensuring information remains readable for consumers.
A.I.S.E. particularly welcomes the agreed positions on pragmatic timelines for updating labels following new or more severe classifications, the removal of advertisement‑related provisions introduced under CLP 2.0, and revised formatting requirements.
The proposal is expected to be put to a vote in the European Parliament’s plenary session at the end of April. If adopted, it will form the Parliament’s mandate for negotiations with the European Commission and the Council. As discussions move forward, A.I.S.E. remains committed to constructive engagement with EU policymakers to help deliver a proportionate, workable and predictable regulatory framework that supports sustainability, innovation and competitiveness across Europe’s cleaning and hygiene products value chain.