Page 60 - FINAT Yearbook 2014

MARC MACARÉ REPORTS
DEVELOPMENTS IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS
AND SUSTAINABILITY
In Brussels, it is better to be at the table than on the menu. To ensure the interests of the self-adhesive label industry are represented and to keep our members up-to-date of the latest regulatory developments, FINAT has again participated in a wide variety of meetings over the last year. FINAT’s Issues Manager Mark Macaré reports.
FINAT focused its efforts on issues such as the REACH and Biocidal Product Regulation Stakeholder meetings, the first consultation meeting of the Product Environmental Footprint Pilot Project for intermediate paper products, the European Paper Week and others.
Below I offer you a summary of the most important developments in regulatory affairs over the past year.
1. FOOD CONTACT LEGISLATION
• Plastics directive
Food contact is one
area that has seen
quite a bit of activity
in 2013. For one, the
EU Plastics Directive
(EU 10/2011) entered into force and placed new requirements on the industry. In particular, any label applied to plastic food packaging now requires a Declaration of Conformity for controlled, but authorized substances present, unless a functional barrier is used in the packaging. These requirements were covered in-depth in the FINAT article published late 2013.
In March 2014,
CEPI urged the
European
Commission to
also draft a similar harmonised measure for paper and board in contact with food to ensure a level playing field and create clarity for the industry. It will be interesting to see the response of the European Commission.
• German Food Ordinance
In Germany, the 2nd draft of the Mineral Oil Ordinance was released in May 2013, with a public hearing taking place in December 2013. One of the goals of the Ordinance is to establish migration limits for Mineral Oils in food.
Similarly, the German Ordinance for printing inks and varnishes has seen various drafts, but there are indications that a final version will be released in 2014. The Ordinance will contain a positive list for permitted components, such as solvents and additives, together with migration limits. It is to apply to both direct and indirect food contact applications, unlike the similar Swiss Ordinance on materials and articles. Various companies, as well as industry associations are already submitting data for substances to both the Swiss and German authorities to place items on the positive list and establish the highest possible migration limits.
This German Ordinance for printing inks and varnishes might have a
substantial effect at EU level, as it might set a precedent or become the de-facto standard at EU level.
2. UPDATE OF EC BREF STS
The upcoming revision of the EC BREF STS (the Reference Document for Best Available Techniques on Surface Treatment using Organic Solvents) is another high-profile topic that appeared on our radar this year. FINAT, through the assistance of Paul Verspoor, was closely involved in the drafting of the initial document, which was issued in 2007. The document outlines available techniques for the reduction of solvent emissions.
Our current understanding is that a kick-off meeting for this would take place at the end of 2014 or early 2015, and it will be essential to co-ordinate industry input for this process. To this end, a first coordination meeting has already taken place. The revision is expected to be started in Q4 2014 and take around 2,5 years before conclusion.
3. CHEMICALS: REACH AND BIOCIDAL PRODUCT REGULATION
• REACH
The second
registration
deadline for
chemicals under REACH passed in May 2013. Compared to 2010, most companies were better versed in the registration procedure, leading to fewer questions. The European
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FINAT YEARBOOK 2014 |