BCF Blog: Titanium Dioxide update

Ellen Daniels, Head of Public Affairs and Policy 

On Monday, I took part in a call organized by the Titanium Dioxide Manufacturers’ Association (TDMA) with many other industry groups from across Europe, to discuss a strategy for the next steps in the TIO2 battle.

As we know, in 2017, the Reach Assessment Committee (RAC) concluded that TiO2 should be classified as a Category 2 carcinogen – “suspected of causing cancer (by inhalation)”.  However, no decision has been reached by the EC Member States as to what regulatory measures should be adopted for Titanium Dioxide, and any decision is being delayed due to changes in REACH procedures.

Discussions have been taking place in various REACH committees to agree suitable regulatory measures for all PSLTs. However, a vote on this by the Member State REACH committee was expected in March this year, and again at subsequent meetings, but no agreement could be reached on appropriate regulatory measures. An exemption was put forward for TIO2 in liquids (such as paints and coatings), but there was no overall majority for any decision in the REACH Committee.

The expert group, CARACAL, is undergoing some changes due to the introduction of a new adoption process of Delegated Acts for impact assessment. The European Commission still intends to classify based on their previous amendments to the CLP regulation. The probable timeline for titanium dioxide is as follows:

• 17 /18 September: special CARCAL meeting on the pending ATPs. During this meeting we expect the Commission to present the latest version of the proposal with a memo explaining how the feedback from the consultation has been taken into account (according to toolbox #56). As we have learned the Commission is already working on the analysis.
• End of September/October: Adoption by the Commission through written procedure at the college level.
• October: transmission to EP & Council for scrutiny (two months).
• January 2020: Publication of the Annex VI amendment in the Official Journal and entry into force.
• July 2021: Applicability of the classification and warning labels.

The TDMA drafted a letter to the European Commission regarding the TIO2 classification, as the Commission has still not answered some fundamental issues raised in the past, specifically regarding the public consultation.

The BCF has signed the letter, and we sent it out to members. We’d like to thank all those who signed, as by adding your support, this will help put pressure on the Commission to consider the feedback submitted in the public consultation, which many of you also signed.

We will continue to work together with the TDMA, CEPE and others, and keep BCF members updated on the issue.