On July 17, 2023, the European Union issued Regulation (EU) 2023 1464 to update Annex 17 of the REACH regulation, adding Article 77 to restrict the use of formaldehyde in consumer products. Bathroom products and much more are included.
Definition of Formaldehyde:
Formaldehyde is a colorless, pungent odor gas that is highly volatile at room temperature. Formaldehyde is identified as a carcinogen and teratogenic substance by WHO, and is classified as a variety of toxicity (carcinogenic 1b, teratogenic 2, acute toxicity 3, corrosive 1b, irritating 1) in China's priority control list of toxic chemicals, formaldehyde also ranks second, it is the main pollutant in indoor chemical pollution, and is known as the first killer of indoor environment. Formaldehyde is very widely used, it can be used as a preservative in cosmetics, food, specimens, etc., and can also be used in building materials, surfactants, plastics, rubber, textiles, leather, papermaking, dyes, pesticides, photographic films, explosives and other industrial fields.
In 2018, Germany revised its formaldehyde control requirements for panels, making the formaldehyde limit for its domestic panels twice as strict as the E1 level required for EU panels. Since then, Germany has been promoting the revision of the EU regulation of formaldehyde within the European Union. On May 2, 2022, the European Commission submitted Circular G TBT N EU 888 to the WTO, proposing to amend Annex 17 of the REACH Regulation to include formaldehyde restriction requirements. On July 17, 2023, after 14 months, the regulation was finally implemented, as shown in the table below
The European Union issued Regulation (EU) 2023 1464 to update Annex 17 of the REACH Regulation, adding Article 77 to restrict the use of formaldehyde in consumer products, which means that the EU has upgraded the control of formaldehyde emissions in products entering its market, and the product categories will be further expanded, covering toys, baby products, furniture, flooring, wood products, decoration products, stationery, textiles, leather products, etc.