On 24 September 2025, representatives of the EU member states approved the Council’s position on simplifying EU legislation in the field of chemicals. This marks an important step toward greater legal clarity and providing businesses with certainty about the requirements they must meet.

The Council’s proposal, which we previously mentioned in this article: https://www.sds-create.pl/en/will-clp-rules-be-simplified primarily provides for postponing the entry into force of the updated CLP Regulation until 1 January 2028.

In addition, the proposal includes simplifying certain provisions of the regulation, particularly those concerning the permitted timeframe for updating labels, removing rules on mandatory font sizes, and easing some requirements related to the online sale of chemical products.

It should be noted that this is not the end of the legislative process. Once the Council’s position has been endorsed by the member states, negotiations with the European Parliament will begin, with the aim of reaching a final agreement and defining the shape of the new rules.

Why is this important for companies in the chemical sector?

For businesses operating in the fields of chemicals, cosmetics, fertilizers, and other chemical products, regulatory changes represent a significant burden — especially when compliance deadlines overlap or remain unclear.

The “stop-the-clock” mechanism offers several key advantages:

• Legal certainty — a clear date of entry into force provides room for planning and adapting to new requirements.

• Greater flexibility — companies can spread out their compliance efforts over a longer period, which helps distribute costs and allows for a wider range of possible actions.

Moreover, reducing certain obligations under the CLP Regulation will enhance competitiveness and make it easier for companies to meet regulatory requirements. It is important to remember, however, that the Council’s position does not in itself mean that the new rules have entered into force or that current obligations are cancelled. We need to remain patient and await the publication of the legal act — but given the broad alignment among the parties involved, it seems likely this will happen sooner rather than later.