The CLP Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 on the Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures revises the rules for the classification and labeling of chemicals. It is enforced in parallel with REACH. As the former EU classification system, it defines criteria needed to determine whether a substance or mixture displays properties that would lead to being classified as hazardous. It is primarily intended to be a corporate self-classification system. Where the substance or mixture is thus classified, the actors in the supply chain should communicate the identified hazards of the chemical product to the next actor down the supply chain in a safety data sheet document and warning labelling on the product’s packaging. Changes in the classification of a substance imply all downstream safety data sheets and labels must be updated. 

The CLP Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 entered into force on 20 January 2009. The former EU Directives covering classification, labeling, and packaging, Council Directive 67/548/EEC (substances) and Directive 1999/45/EC (preparations), will be repealed gradually by 1 June 2015. Under REACH and CLP, only the most hazardous substances will have the EU-wide harmonised classification in the CLP Annex VI . For any other substances, the classification should preferably be agreed upon by the registrants of the same substance within the Substance Information Exchange Forum. The agreed classification should have been submitted to the Agency in the registration dossier and communicated via the e-SDSs and labels to all actors in the supply chain.

The classification of a substance will be determined by the REACH registrants.  Any other actors responsible for releasing the substance (as such or in a mixture) to the market had to provide classification and labelling notification to the Chemicals Agency by 30.11.2010, or within one month of a later release to the market.

CLP also imposes new labelling in accordance with the Globally Harmonised Classification and Labelling System, and introduces new GHS pictograms, signal words and statements.

The former harmonised EU classification criteria were set by Annex I of the Dangerous Substance and Preparations Directive. All other products needed to be self-classified by the industry, mainly based on existing available information and use experience. Of all aluminium and iron substances used by INCOPA's members only ferrous sulphate had a harmonised classification entry in Annex I of the Dangerous Substance Directive.