European Parliament endorses Chemicals Omnibus VI: A clear mandate for CLP simplification ahead of trilogues

Brussels, 29 April 2026 - The European Parliament has today endorsed the Chemicals Omnibus VI package in plenary, with a solid majority of almost all political groups, counting 540 votes in favour and only 60 against, gives a strong mandate to simplify the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation while maintaining a high level of protection for human health and the environment.

Following today's vote, the European Parliament is now ready to enter interinstitutional negotiations with the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. The outcome of the Plenary vote confirms broad political support for making EU chemicals legislation clearer, more workable and more predictable for companies and consumers alike.

The adopted position follows broad cross-party backing in Parliament and reflects growing recognition that existing CLP implementation and formatting requirements can be impractical in real-life conditions, particularly for small packaging and multilingual markets. Simplification measures are intended to improve label readability for consumers, reduce unnecessary waste, and avoid disproportionate regulatory and economic burdens across the value chain.

Commenting on the vote, Alexis Van Maercke, A.I.S.E. Director General said:
"Today's plenary vote sends a strong signal that simplification and protection can go hand in hand. The Parliament has recognised that certain CLP rules are no longer fit for purpose and need to be adjusted to remain effective in practice. For the detergents and maintenance products' sector, clear rules and realistic timelines are essential to ensure compliance, consumer understanding, and sustainable product design."

A.I.S.E. particularly welcomes the Parliament's support for:

• 18 months as more pragmatic transition periods for updating product labels following new or revised classifications; this timeline is necessary to allow a complex supply chain, such as for detergent products, to enable orderly implementation and avoid unnecessary waste;
• Revised formatting requirements that ensure labels remain readable for consumers without forcing disproportionate packaging changes. Detergent labels must include several types of information, and CLP 2.0 elements are taking up space at the expense of instructions for use, safety advice, surfactant classes and the Unique Formula Identifier (UFI).
• The revision of advertising-related provisions with a strong link between advertisement and mixture classifications introduced under CLP Regulation 2.0, which were inappropriate for mixtures in which the composition often changes, that are placed on the market in the EU and in multiple regions of the world, with different languages and classification requirements.

In particular, the European Parliament's approach acknowledges the practical reality that advertising rules cannot follow a one-size-fits-all model across digital, print and broadcast media. For detergent mixtures, whose classification may evolve and whose packaging must already convey extensive mandatory information, rigid advertising references to hazard elements risk becoming impractical and misleading in real-life communication scenarios, as shown in the following example.

As discussions move into the trilogues, A.I.S.E. is ready to engage constructively with the EU institutions to help ensure that the final text delivers meaningful simplification for the detergents industry, supports innovation and sustainability, and strengthens the competitiveness of Europe's chemical value chain and its downstream users, including the cleaning and hygiene products sector.

A proportionate, workable and predictable regulatory framework will be key to enabling companies, particularly SMEs, to continue supplying essential products safely and sustainably across the Single Market.

Contact: Marta Siddu, Senior Scientific & Regulatory Affairs Manager marta.siddu[at]aise.eu

About A.I.S.E. - A.I.S.E. is the voice of the cleaning and hygiene products industry

A.I.S.E. represents an industry that supplies essential detergents, cleaning and maintenance products, disinfectants and biocidal products for cleanliness and hygiene at home and in public spaces across Europe. Based in Brussels, the association has been the voice of the industry since 1952.

Membership includes 30 national associations across Europe, 19 corporate members, and 18 value chain partners, collectively representing a broad network of over 900 companies supplying household and professional cleaning and hygiene products and services. The A.I.S.E. network works with EU and national decision-makers to strengthen the Single Market through innovative, science-based solutions that ensure user safety, environmental protection, and regulatory compliance.

The industry is a substantial contributor to the European economy with an annual market value of €47,6 billion, directly employing 95 000 and 360 000 throughout the value chain. https://www.aise.eu.

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