GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / AGILITYPR.NEWS / December 16, 2021 / Switzerland has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its proposal to align its Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance (ORRChem) with recently adopted European Union (EU) restrictions on dangerous substances, preparations and articles.

The Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) circulated the notification in November 2021. The proposal will align ORRChem with recently adopted provisions in Annex XVII of Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POP Recast Regulation).

Stakeholders should be aware the draft ordinance contains important changes to several sections under Annex 1 of ORRChem in relation to ‘Provisions Concerning Specific Substances’. These include:

• Persistent organic pollutants (Annex 1.1)
• Halogenated organic substances (Annex 1.2)
• Ozone depleting substances (Annexes 1.4 and 2.9)
• Substances stable in the atmosphere (Annex 1.5)
• Asbestos (Annex 1.6)
• Carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances (CMR substances, Annex 1.10)
• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, Annexes 1.16 and 2.11)
• Plastics, their monomers and additives (Annex 2.9)
• Extinguishing agents (Annex 2.11 – this is in relation to PFAS in Annex 1.16) 

It is interesting to note that, if adopted, the draft Ordinance will regulate perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, its salts (PFHxS) and PFHxS-related substances, a measure that is currently under consideration in the EU.

For a more in-depth review of the changes, stakeholders are advised to review SGS’s original SafeGuard 159/21.

This ordinance will also amend the nation’s Plant Protection Products Ordinance of May 12, 2010.

The draft ordinance contains multiple effective dates:

• April 1, 2022 – all provisions except:
• October 1, 2022 – Annex 1.16 ‘Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances’
• April 1, 2023 – for the Plant Protection Products Ordinance of May 12, 2010

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