The main objective of the Chemicals Substances Section is the enforcement of the national legislation for chemicals and of the respective European Regulations:
1907/2006/EC (REACH Regulation),
1272/2008/EC (CLP Regulation) and
649/2012/EC (PIC Regulation) on imports and exports of dangerous substances and mixtures. In addition to the above mentioned legislation, the Department aims to achieve complete control of the dangerous chemical substances (either on their own or in mixtures and in products) imported, exported and/or placed on the Cyprus market through the implementation of two International Conventions. The Rotterdam Convention (PIC) controls the import and export of certain dangerous chemicals while the Stockholm Convention (POPs) controls certain very dangerous chemicals characterised as Persistent Organic Pollutants.
For the effective implementation of the above legislation the Chemicals Substances Section controls that:
- All hazardous chemical substances and mixtures are classified and labeled in Greek and packaged according to the criteria of the CLP Regulation.
- All hazardous chemical substances and mixtures are accompanied by the appropriate Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) in Greek. In addition, the structure and content of the SDSs is according to the REACH Regulation. In this way all professional users are precisely informed on the hazardous properties of the chemicals they use.
- All chemical substances which are either produced or imported in quantities exceeding 1 ton per year are pre-registered / registered according to the REACH Regulation.
- All hazardous chemical substances placed on the Cyprus market are notified to the C & L Inventory of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
- Chemical substances authorised by ECHA for certain uses, or for which specific restrictions apply, are specifically controlled.
More information on the Chemicals Legislation can be found
here.