Development of chemicals legislation in Germany - an overview

Chemicals legislation in Germany has evolved from poison law since the late 19th century - initially as part of police and regulatory law. With increasing industrialization and growing environmental and health awareness, the legal framework was constantly expanded and modernized.

Milestones at a glance:

1960s-1970s: Introduction and further development of the Hazardous Substances Act (GefStoffG) - first comprehensive regulations on the storage, labeling and handling of hazardous substances.

1990s: Start of EU harmonization
EU directives such as 91/155/EEC laid the foundations for European classification and labelling. Germany implemented them through the Hazardous Substances Ordinance.

🔹 2007: REACH regulation comes into force
REACH (EC No. 1907/2006) places the legal focus on the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemical substances throughout Europe - manufacturers and importers bear the responsibility. Germany implements REACH via the Chemicals Act (ChemG).

🔹 2008: Introduction of the new Hazardous Substances Ordinance (GefStoffV) to implement the CLP Regulation (EC No. 1272/2008) - uniform classification and labeling of chemicals in the EU.

2010s: CLP and REACH are constantly being adapted to new findings. The amending regulations require continuous engagement with the topic and regular updating of safety data sheets, for example.

🔹 Since 2020: Dynamic further development - including through:
- Amendment of the REACh Regulation (Regulation 2020/878): The regulation primarily supplemented the sections of the SDS, which meant that all SDSs had to be revised.
- Regulations for endocrine disruptors - improved protection against endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Stricter requirements for PBT substances (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic)
- Digitalization - modernization of authorities and databases, e.g. at the BVL, for more efficient information exchange

Conclusion:
Chemicals legislation remains a highly dynamic area of law that integrates technical developments, scientific findings and European requirements. It makes a key contribution to environmental and health protection - today and in the future.