EU REACH Microplastics Restriction Adopted by the EU Commission

On 25 September 2023, the EU Commission adopted the EU REACH restriction on intentionally added microplastics.  Here is the link to the adopted legal text and a Q&A on the press release from the EU Commission.  This restriction will come into force once it is published in the Official Journal of the European Union; publication on the OJ is expected later this week.

Once entered into force, the restriction will apply in the EU and Northern Ireland.  There is currently no restriction proposal for microplastics under UK REACH for the GB market; although, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is soon going to start an evidence project that will inform any Regulatory Management Option Analysis (RMOA) under UK REACH.