The Council of the European Union and the European Parliament have agreed to push the entry into force of the revised Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation to 1 January 2030, negotiators confirmed overnight on 16–17 June.

The provisional deal — struck within the wider Omnibus VI simplification package — aligns the application dates of three EU chemical acts: the CLP Regulation (revised in 2024), the 2009 Cosmetic Products Regulation, and the 2019 Fertilising Products Regulation. The previous CLP deadline of 1 January 2028 moves back two years under the so-called "stop the clock" mechanism.

The Council framed the package as a response to "urgent issues raised by stakeholders – in particular the administrative burdens on businesses" along the chemicals value chain, while preserving "a high level" of consumer and environmental protection.

What changes for cosmetics specifically?

For formulators and compliance teams, the most concrete shift sits inside the 2009 Cosmetic Products Regulation. EU law already prohibits CMR substances — carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic — in cosmetic products, with limited temporary or conditional exemptions. The trilogue text introduces a three-tier transition system for phasing those exemptions out, sorted by outcome:

• No derogation required.
• Derogation refused on safety grounds.
• Request rejected because the substance is safe but alternatives exist.

The Commission will publish guidelines defining "alternative substances," a move that will shape how brands and suppliers build substitution roadmaps over the next several years. The Council also retains the mandate requiring pre-market notification of nanomaterials in cosmetic products.

What does the labelling overhaul look like?

The CLP overhaul introduces minimum font sizes for the labelling of products intended for the general public rather than for businesses, applied to hazardous substances covered by the CLP framework. The text carves out specific exemptions for small packages, including printer ink cartridges, and allows digital barcodes on small inner containers provided the relevant information appears on the outer packaging. Companies get a 15-month transitional period to relabel stock.

A "digital by design" approach anchors the package, with the Council stating the goal is to eliminate duplicated requirements and streamline deadlines across the three regulations.

How do fertilisers fit in — and why should cosmetics buyers care?

Although the fertiliser provisions sit outside cosmetics, they share the same legal plumbing under REACH Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006. The agreement reintroduces REACH registration for substances subject to harmonised classification and for certain particularly harmful substances — but only above a 10-tonnes-per-year threshold. Registration of micro-organisms used in fertiliser production will follow the same 10-tonne rule.

The Commission will now periodically review Component Material Categories (CMCs), starting with CMC 8 (nutrient polymers with more than one function) — synthetic or chemically modified materials designed to control nutrient release to plants. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gain a clarified role in assessing potential environmental risks from new micro-organisms.

What's the next data point to watch?

The provisional agreement must clear the Council and Parliament before legal and linguistic review, with formal adoption expected in the coming months, according to the Council. Formulators tracking CMR derogations should watch for the Commission's alternative-substances guidelines — the first substantive piece of secondary guidance the deal produces. The 2030 application date sets the planning horizon; the 15-month relabelling window starts ticking once the revised CLP text enters into force.