Since CLP entered into force, each Member State has implemented its own national law regarding the poison centre notification. As a result, the notification requirements vary from country to country and it can be challenging to determine exactly what information you must share.

To harmonise the approaches, a new Annex VIII has been added to CLP, introducing:

• the poison centres notification (PCN) format
• a PCN editor to prepare and update notification files online
• a Unique Formula Identifier (UFI), which has to be included on the label of each mixture

Among the information requirements are: trade name, UFI, intended use(s), full composition of the mixture (including non-hazardous components), physical state, pH, hazard classification and labelling elements. Product notifications will have to be submitted in accordance to the new Annex by:

• 1 January 2021, for products intended for consumer use and professional use
• 1 January 2024, for products intended for industrial uses

If you have not yet notified product information for your hazardous mixtures, you are non-compliant. It is advisable to notify your hazardous products as soon as possible. Importers and downstream users who have already notified to poison centre(s) under CLP and (national) regulations, must update their notifications in accordance to the new Commission Regulation by 1 January 2025.

Please note: You must notify product information in each Member State in which you place hazardous chemical products on the market. To facilitate the central notification to multiple Member States, ECHA has established the ECHA Submission portal. Per 1 January 2021, all Poison Centres must accept notifications via this portal. Currently, however, only Germany and Estonia accept submissions made through the ECHA Submission portal.

What ECHA says about PCN

Watch the clip published by ECHA:

Need assistance?

The Chemical Compliance Coach can help you to notify your products in any Member State. Contact us for more information.