Altogether, 31 countries in EU and EEA Member States are participating in inspections to check whether the classification and labelling of a mixture corresponds to the information presented in the safety data sheet for the mixture. The controls began in January 2018 under the enforcement project REACH-EN-FORCE-6 (REF-6).

REF projects are carried out by inspectors based in the national authorities in participating Member States. The resulting information is collected by ECHA and the Forum Working Group. A final report on the findings of the REF project is then produced. Ultimately, the goal of the REF projects is to promote common practices and harmonised approaches among the enforcement authorities in the Member States but also to improve the compliance of registrants with the REACH, CLP and PIC regulations.

For the curent investigations, Member States may also include additional modules. The additional modules cover: exemptions concerning labelling and packaging requirements, the obligation to apply harmonised classification and labelling (CLH), the specific requirements of the CLP Regulation for liquid laundry detergent capsules (LLDCs), and the authorisation and labelling of biocidal products.

The REF-6 module on biocidal products is the first project undertaken jointly by the Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement (Forum) and the Forum’s Biocidal Products Regulation Subgroup (BPRS). This module is also the first enforcement project that the BPRS is participating in – the subgroup was founded in March 2017.

The REF-6 project was adopted by the Forum at the end of 2016. The inspection activities will continue throughout 2018. A report on the results of the inspections will be available in the fourth quarter of 2019.