Articles

German Hazardous Substances Law

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German hazardous substances law serves as a national supplement to the requirements of European hazardous substances legislation. Its specific provisions must be taken into account – alongside European rules – when distributing products within the Federal Republic of Germany. Key German regulatory instruments in this field include the German Chemicals Act, the Ordinance on the Prohibition of Chemicals, the Hazardous Substances Ordinance, and the Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances. Their essential contents are presented and discussed. The national legal hierarchy regarding hazardous substances and the enforcement and compliance monitoring carried out by various stakeholders are also addressed.

Pillars of European chemicals legislation

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This article examines key European regulations concerning hazardous substances. To this end, the relevant provisions were analyzed and their requirements identified.

The REACH and CLP regulations form the basis for the registration, classification, labeling, and handling of chemicals and chemical products within European Union member states. They are supplemented by other EU regulations addressing particularly hazardous chemicals, covering areas such as import and export (PIC Regulation) as well as manufacture and storage (Seveso III Directive). Furthermore, regulations concerning specific product groups—such as biocides, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and detergents—are discussed. The regulations clearly indicate that both individual chemicals and mixtures may be subject to registration and/or notification obligations.