On 1 November 2020, Regulation (EU) 2018/1513 amending Annex XVII to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) entered into force.

Annex XVII to REACH contains restrictions on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of certain substances. In this case, this new regulation includes restrictions for certain substances considered to be CMRs (carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproduction) of category 1A or 1B, thus adding entry 72 to the Annex.

Therefore, with the aim of protecting the health of consumers, this restriction applies to:

– Clothing or related accessories such as sportswear, sports bags, etc.

– Textiles other than clothing but which come into contact with the skin in a similar way, e.g. bedding, blankets, etc.

– Footwear.

Exceptions to this restriction apply to:

– Clothing, related accessories, footwear or parts of such articles which are made exclusively of leather or natural furs.

– Non-textile fasteners and non-textile decorative elements.

– Clothing, related accessories, textile articles other than second-hand clothing or footwear.

– One-piece carpets and textile floor coverings for interior use, rugs and carpets.

– Personal protective equipment (PPE).

– Medical devices.

Restricted CMR substances may include heavy metal compounds, dyes, or aromatic hydrocarbons up to a total of 33 new substances.