On June 27, 2007, the European Commission adopted a bill on regulations on the classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures, aiming to align the EU system with the United Nations Global Harmonized System. If the bill is passed, the current individual labeling requirements for products imported into the EU will be lifted, which should benefit Hong Kong and mainland Chinese manufacturers. In addition, the Ordinance Bill is also complementary to the new Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals Regulations ("REACH"). The current EU chemical classification and labeling system is set out in the following three important directives, which provide a high degree of protection in terms of health, safety, environment and consumers: • Hazardous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC); • Hazardous Preparations Directive ( 1999/45/EC); • Safety Data Sheet Directive (91/155/EEC – from 1 June 2007, this directive has been replaced by the REACH regulation). The first two directives above set out the requirements for classification, packaging and labeling of hazardous substances and preparations, while the third directive ensures that suppliers of substances and preparations provide professional customers with information on the hazards and safe use of chemicals. The goals of the regulations include: 1) unifying the classification, labeling and packaging rules for substances and mixtures; 2) requiring companies to classify the substances and mixtures they manufacture on their own and notify relevant authorities; 3) developing a unified list of substances; 4) A label catalog is provided. The following is an example of labeling changes for extremely flammable chemicals: For most chemicals, the proposed regime would be similar to the current regime
