Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Globally
Harmonised Systems
Once the proposed European Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation is agreed and implemented, it will be subject to technical amendment (as is the case with the current EU legislation). The main difference will be that in future the technical updates will be agreed at the UN, rather than the EU level.
The sub-committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (SCEGHS) meets twice a year, in July and December, to discuss updates and amendments to the UN GHS. The UK, and other EU member states and the European Commission are represented at meetings.
Once the new European Regulation based on the GHS has been implemented there will be changes made in light of new scientific understanding or ‘adaptations to technical progress’ in a similar process to the regular updates to the CHIP Regulation.
Latest version of the UN GHS, the first revised edition (also known as the ‘Purple Book’) extends to some 540 pages - Please note a second revised version of the GHS will be available mid-2007.
More information about the SCEGHS meetings is available at:
HSE leads for the UK Government on the negotiation of the GHS at UN level.
