By EPY
On November 20th, Regulation (EU) 2024/2865 amending the CLP Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. The update modifies and supplements various parts of the regulation, affecting both the articles themselves and the annexes.
In particular, we focus on the changes related to labelling. In fact, the CLP update has introduced the following key innovations:
- new graphical layout rules;
- digital labels alongside physical ones;
- fold-out labels, now officially recognized as usable labels and not just as a solution for space limitations.
The new graphical rules, aimed at ensuring that labels affixed to substances and mixtures are perfectly clear, establish that:
- only one type of easily readable, sans-serif font may be used. “Sans-serif” means without decorative strokes or lines at the ends of letters;
- there are specific colour requirements: the label must be printed in black on a white background (with a flexible approach regarding the exact shade of white);
- minimum requirements are set for font size;
- minimum line spacing must be at least 120% of the font size.
What are the deadlines for updating labels?
New points 7 and 8 of Article 61 of the CLP Regulation set the deadlines and transitional periods, while Article 2 of the amendment text defines the dates of application.
Regarding the label update, the new graphic rules will apply as of January 1st of 2027 for newly placed substances or mixtures. The application date shifts to January 1st of 2029 for substances or mixtures placed on the market by 31 December 2026.
How does Epy support its users?
A practical solution has been developed to simplify label formatting. The Label Compliance Tool module is available to users, allowing them to assess the impact of the required changes and convert labels to meet the specifications set by Regulation 2024/2865.
Thanks to a report generated by the module, users can check which products can be labelled using the converted labels.
Moreover, in cases where resizing is needed due to limited space, users will be able to quickly identify which parts of the label layout need to be adjusted.
Finally, for all users of the EpyLab label design software, a new version is now available, updated with the changes introduced by Regulation 2024/2865.
