Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the differences between regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures and corresponding US law; how he plans to resolve any such differences in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and what position the Government plans to take in negotiations on resolving such differences.

We understand that the US does not currently have a direct equivalent to the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which covers hazards to people in the workplace, has adopted the United Nations Globally Harmonised System for classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS), which the CLP is modelled on. However, US Administrations that cover environment and consumer issues have not yet adopted the GHS. During the EU-US Free-Trade Agreement negotiations (TTIP), we will continue to support the EU’s objective to promote alignment in classification and labelling of chemicals in accordance with the GHS and will continue to press for an ambitious EU-US Free-Trade Agreement.