EU Synthetic Microplastics Ban: Operational Impact on Color Cosmetics, Glitters, and Loose Powders

COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2023/2055

of 25 September 2023

amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) as regards synthetic polymer microparticles

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (1), and in particular Article 68(1) thereof,

Whereas:

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 25 September 2023.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1)   OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1.

(2)  https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10518-2016-INIT/en/pdf /

(3)  https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/24073/st_7348_2017_rev_1_en.pdf

(4)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy (COM(2018) 28 final).

(5)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The European Green Deal (COM(2019) 640 final).

(6)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: A new Circular Economy Action Plan for a cleaner and more competitive Europe (COM(2020) 98 final).

(7)  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All EU Action Plan: ‘Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’ (COM(2021) 400 final).

(8)  European Parliament resolution of 13 September 2018 on a European strategy for plastics in a circular economy (P8 TA(2018) 352).

(9)  Commission request of 9 November 2017 asking the European Chemicals Agency to prepare a restriction proposal conforming to the requirements of Annex XVII to REACH. https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/5c8be037-3f81-266a-d71b-1a67ec01cbf9

(10)  Annex XV restriction report. https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/05bd96e3-b969-0a7c-c6d0-441182893720; Annex to the Annex XV restriction report.

https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/db081bde-ea3e-ab53-3135-8aaffe66d0cb.

(11)  ECHA (2020). Background Document to the Opinion on the Annex XV report proposing restrictions on intentionally added microplastics. https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/b56c6c7e-02fb-68a4-da69-0bcbd504212b

(12)  Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 of 17 May 2017 laying down criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters and specifications and standardised methods for monitoring and assessment, and repealing Decision 2010/477/EU (OJ L 125, 18.5.2017, p. 43).

(13)  Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) (OJ L 164, 25.6.2008, p. 19).

(14)  Commission Recommendation of 10 June 2022 on the definition of nanomaterial (C(2022) 3689) (OJ C 229, 14.6.2022, p. 1).

(15)  Directive 2001/83/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 November 2001 on the Community code relating to medicinal products for human use (OJ L 311, 28.11.2001, p. 67).

(16)  Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on veterinary medicinal products and repealing Directive 2001/82/EC (OJ L 4, 7.1.2019, p. 43).

(17)  Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 laying down rules on the making available on the market of EU fertilising products and amending Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009 and (EC) No 1107/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 (OJ L 170, 25.6.2019, p. 1).

(18)  Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food additives (OJ L 354, 31.12.2008, p. 16).