Europe
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The European
coatings industry
and its raw
material suppliers
are preparing
the ground for a
fight-back against
European Union
and national
regulators on
proposed safety
restrictions on
titanium dioxide
and certain
biocides.
EU Fights Back Against EU
and National Regulators
by Sean Milmo
European Correspondent
milmocw@rodmanmedia.com
The European coatings industry and its raw material suppliers are preparing the ground for a fight-back against
European Union and national regulators on
proposed safety restrictions on titanium dioxide and certain biocides.
The industry claims that the TiO2 challenge
would have a major impact on the whole industry while stricter controls on biocides would raise
doubts about the future of waterborne coatings
as an alternative to solvent-based coatings.
The Risk Assessment Committee – a key
expert group within the European Chemicals
Agency (ECHA), which administers the EU’s
REACH legislation on controls of chemicals
and the Union’s Classification, Labelling and
Packaging (CLP) regulation—has classified
TiO2 as a suspected carcinogen because of the
dangers of inhaling the pigment’s dusts.
All coatings and other products containing TiO2 will have to carry a hazard warning
sign under the CLP rules.
“It would be totally disproportionate and
also misleading for paint and ink products
to have a ‘suspected of causing cancer’ label,” said Tom Bowtell, chief executive of the
British Coatings Federation (BCF).
The RAC’s recommendation is likely to
be endorsed by ECHA this autumn after
which a final decision on the CLP classification will be taken, probably in mid-2018, by
