Siloxanes: EU Court Rejects Industry Claims

The EU has tossed two cases brought by chemical companies and trade associations. In one case, the industry wanted to block inclusion of three siloxanes (D4, D5, and D6) in Annex XIV of REACH, the authorization list. The other case argued against the limitation of D4 and D5 in wash-off cosmetics.
The cases were brought by the Global Silicones Council (GSC), an American trade association, with the support of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). The plaintiffs argued that although it was proper to use the criteria for suspected SVHC chemicals based on carbon for inclusion in the authorization list, it was improper to use the same criteria for silicone-based chemicals.
Nevertheless, the judges followed the recommendation of the ECHA to classify D4, D5, and D6 as very persistent and very bioaccumulative and to classify D4 as toxic.
For more information, please see the following articles:
ECHA Recommends REACH Authorization Requirement for Seven Chemicals, Including Three Siloxanes
Siloxane D4 and D5 Now Prohibited in Rinse-Off Cosmetics

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