On the 15^th December 2020, nearly 60 participants took part of the 14^th edition of the “REACH&CLP 2020 annual conference – New European policies and arising challenges for companies”, organised online by the REACH&CLP Helpdesk Luxembourg with the support of the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Economy.

During this new edition Mr Lucien Hoffmann from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and technology (LIST) gave us the honour of delivering the opening speech. He came back on the challenges of 2020 with the sanitary situation and the next challenges for companies as of 2021.

The first presentation of the conference was dedicated to the Chemicals Strategy for sustainability published last October and presented by the European Commission. This presentation was also focused on how REACH and CLP will be impacted by the new strategy which has as objective to reduce the risks associated with producing and using chemicals.

Following this presentation, the REACH&CLP Helpdesk team came back on new and future obligations for companies concerning nanoforms, end of the transition period of the Brexit, the Waste Framework Directive and the declaration of hazardous mixture to poison centre.

With the Covid in 2020, some concerns related to Biocides regulation was raised. It is in that sense that the Environmental Administration (AEV) presented what are the obligations under Biocides regulations and what was the issues related to hydroalcoholic gel. The Environmental Administration also provided feedback on enforcement projects related to REACH, CLP but also biocides.

 To close this session, the REACH&CLP Helpdesk presented general aspects of the Persistent Organic Pollutants regulation and its implementation in Luxembourg. The Helpdesk also take this opportunity to announce the release of a new website dedicated to POPs and that th Helpdesk is new contact point for questions related to POPs.

The presentations and the video are available on the event’s webpage.