UK to Incorporate New GB CLP Hazard Classes in Major Chemical Safety Reform
UK to incorporate New GB CLP hazard classes based on EU CLP criteria. In June 2025, the United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) unveiled a sweeping set of reforms to the GB CLP Regulation. This marks a pivotal shift in the country’s approach to chemical safety regulations. This initiative, currently under public consultation until August 18, 2025, signals the UK’s intent to partially realign with the European Union’s evolving chemical hazard standards, particularly through the adoption of new EU hazard classes123.
A central feature of the proposal is the incorporation of several new hazard classes introduced by the EU in 2023. These new hazard classes address emerging scientific concerns such as endocrine disruption and chemical persistence. These include categories for endocrine disruption in both human health and the environment, as well as:
- persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT)
- very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB)
- persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT), and
- very persistent, very mobile (vPvM) substances.
The addition of these hazard classes is expected to have a broad impact on manufacturers, importers, and downstream users, requiring updates to safety data sheets, labels, and compliance documentation.
The HSE argues that being obliged to consider opinions from ECHA imposes unnecessary regulatory burdens and limits its ability to prioritise issues relevant to the UK market.
However, the HSE’s approach is not one of blanket harmonisation. While the UK is moving towards greater alignment in hazard classification, it is also proposing to diverge in other areas, notably by moving away from the automatic adoption of EU scientific opinions. Under current rules, the UK is obliged to consider opinions from the European Chemicals Agency’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC). This applies even for substances or hazard classes not authorised for use in Great Britain. The HSE argues that this requirement imposes unnecessary regulatory burdens and limits its ability to prioritise issues relevant to the UK market.
The reforms aim to strike a balance between reducing regulatory burdens and maintaining high standards of health and environmental protection. Stakeholders, including companies affected by the CLP Regulation, are encouraged to participate in the consultation process to shape the future of chemical regulation in the UK.
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