ECHA’s Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) Committees backed restriction proposals on octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5), at their meetings earlier this month. Besides, SEAC has begun a public consultation for D4 and D5 proposals which ends on 16 May 2016.

D5 is a high tonnage very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) compound, which has received guarded approval for use in cosmetics, by the European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). D4 is a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substance present as an impurity in D5. Both proposals are brought forward by the United Kingdom that there should be no greater than 0,1% of D4 or D5 present in personal care products that are intended to be used or disposed with water.

Given the proposals are passed, D4 and D5 will be included in Annex XVII to REACH Regulation, which lists restricted chemicals and their limits covering children’s products, electronic and electrical equipment, jewellery, automobiles and other industries.

Based on our statistics, the major obstacle for Chinese products to access EU market in 2015 largely lies in their non-compliance with REACH Regulation. C&K Testing advises companies should keep an eye on its amendments for timely preparation.