Sweden introduces new nanomaterials notification requirements from 2018

The Chemical Inspectorate introduces a new requirement to notify data on nanomaterials in chemical products to the Authority's product register. The new regulations will enter into force on January 1, 2018. This means that for the first time, data on nanomaterials will be reported to the product register in February 2019.

Since long time it has has been required for companies in Sweden to register the contents of chemical products in the Chemicals Inspectorate's product register. The new regulations mean that companies reporting to the product register must also indicate whether the products contain deliberately added nanomaterials.

The purpose of the new notification obligation is to gather information about how much and what nanomaterials are used in Sweden. The data may form the basis for future development of team development or other measures regarding nanomaterials. 

The new provisions on nanomaterials are based on a report issued by the Swedish Chemicals Agency on behalf of the Government in 2015. Companies with a turnover of less than SEK 5 million per year are exempted from the new reporting requirement. The rules are introduced in the Chemicals Agency's new basic regulations on chemical products and biotechnological organisms (KIFS 2017: 7) , which will replace the older basic regulation KIFS 2008: 2 from the turn of the year.

The new reporting requirement is introduced when the Swedish Chemicals Agency has decided on two new basic regulations - KIFS 2017: 7 and KIFS 2017: 8. The purpose of new basic regulations is to increase clarity both systematically and linguistically. The Swedish Chemicals Agency has also decided on amendments to KIFS 2008: 3 on pesticides. Some of the news in the regulations, in addition to the registration requirement for nanomaterials, are:

(*) The new regulations are based on the old ones but get a new section of chapters and attachments.

(*) References at the beginning of each chapter are introduced, which indicate how the provisions relate to other rules (EU legal, Swedish laws and regulations).

(*) Existing provisions on the fires and chemical properties of toys are broken out and may form their own regulations (KIFS 2017: 8).

(*) Provisions for the reporting of mercury as well as provisions on exceptions to the heavy metal limit values ​​in packaging materials are repealed.

(*) Provisions for wood-treated wood are transferred to the Swedish Chemicals Agency's pesticide regulations (KIFS 2008: 3).

(*) The amendments will enter into force on January 1, 2018.