EU Court confirms classification of bisphenol A
The court of the European Union has confirmed in a recent ruling that bisphenol A must be classified as a substance of very high concern. The Luxembourg judges dismissed a complaint by the PlasticsEurope plastics association.
In its ruling, the court found that a substance used as an isolated intermediate on site or as a transported isolated intermediate is not automatically exempted from all provisions of the REACH regulation. Such substances, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), are therefore not exempted from the labelling requirements. As the Court explains in its explanatory memorandum, the Regulation does not exclude that a substance may be classified as of very high concern although it is only used as an isolated intermediate.
information for the supply chain
In the Explanatory Memorandum, the Court states that “one of the objectives is to exchange information on substances of very high concern within the supply chain and with consumers”.
Although the complaint was brought by the plastics industry, BPA is a relevant raw material for the coatings industry because of its importance for epoxides. In products such as baby bottles, BPA has been banned throughout Europe since 2011. The substance is considered a hormonal pollutant that has a similar effect to oestrogen.
