On July 17, 2023, the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ) published an amendment (EU) 2023/1464 to the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. This amendment primarily revises Annex XVII of REACH, introducing a new Article 77 concerning restrictions on formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing substances. It came into effect on August 6, 2023.
| Scope | Requirement | Method | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Furniture and wood-based articles* | ≤ 0.062 mg/m3 | Chamber method as described in Appendix 14, paragraph 1 | After August 6, 2026 |
| Articles other than furniture and wood-based articles* | ≤ 0.080 mg/m3 | ||
| Interior of road vehicles, including trucks and buses** | ≤ 0.062 mg/m3 | Ambient mode according to ISO 12219-1 or ISO 12219-10 (see Appendix 14, paragraph 2) | After August 6, 2027 |
- Road vehicles exclusively for industrial and professional use, unless the concentration of formaldehyde in the interior of those vehicles leads to exposure of the general public under foreseeable conditions of use
- Second-hand vehicles
Exemptions (*)
- Articles in which formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasing substances are exclusively naturally present in the materials from which the articles are manufactured
- Articles exclusively for outdoor use under foreseeable conditions
- Articles in constructions, that are exclusively used outside the building shell and vapor barrier and that do not emit formaldehyde into indoor air
- Articles exclusively for industrial or professional use unless formaldehyde released from these leads to exposure of the general public under foreseeable conditions of use
- Articles falling under the scope of entry 72 to Annex XVII of REACH
- Biocidal products (Regulation (EU) 528/2012)
- Medical devices (Regulation (EU) 2017/745)
- Personal protective equipment (Regulation (EU) 2016/425)
- Food contact materials and articles (Regulation (EU) 1935/2004)
- Second-hand articles