EU Seeks to Limit Lead in PVC-Containing Items Under REACH

Background 

The European Parliament has long believed that heavy metal pollution must not be made worse by recycling polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Due to the voluntary commitment of the PVC industry in the EU, lead in PVC has been phased out in the EU since 2015; nonetheless, lead in PVC continues to enter the EU through imported products. 

In 2020, the adoption of a resolution by the Environment Committee objected to the European Commission's plan to change the laws governing lead concentration, in particular lead in PVC. Members of Parliament believe that the proposed changes fall short of adequately protecting the environment and human health, which is the main goal of the REACH regulation. The proposed regulation by the Commission would prohibit the use and presence of lead and its compounds in items made of PVC, a common synthetic plastic. It would set a lead content level of 0.1% by weight of the PVC material as the maximum. Additionally, it adds two exemptions. 

Revised draft 

The European Union (EU) has announced its intention to broaden the restrictions on lead and its compounds under entry 63 to Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) 1907/2006, "Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)" in a draft regulation that was made public by the World Trade Organization (WTO) on June 8, 2022. 

The revised version requires the label to reflect "Warning: Contains Lead" and decreases the transition time after the proposed regulation's date of entry into effect from 24 months to 18 months. On October 26, 2022 the REACH Committee met to discuss the idea. 

Various regulatory changes are listed in the proposed draft. The tables below represent the draft rule on lead in PVC. 

Based on the WTO report and the proposed regulations projected adoption date for the draft regulation is the fourth quarter of 2022 and it will come into effect two years after the date of entry into force.