BRUSSELS – The European Union has initiated a 24-month transition period for the restriction of 33 chemicals used in the textile sector which are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR).
The adoption of these CMR chemicals is now set out in entry 72 of Annex XVII to REACH by Regulation (EU) 2018/1513 and includes substances such as formaldehyde, heavy metals and benzenes that may be present due to contaminants left over from the production process or because they have been added intentionally to give specific properties to textiles such as shrink-proofing or fabric crease-resistance.
European companies will need to comply with the new restriction by December 2020.
