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December 3, 2015

Sweden Proposes Reporting Requirements for Nanomaterials

Lynn L. Bergeson Carla N. Hutton

On December 1, 2015, the Swedish Chemicals Agency (KEMI) announced that it proposed to the government that those who report chemical products to the products register would, in addition to the information that is currently reported, also provide additional information regarding any nanomaterials contained in the product.  According to the English summary in KEMI’s report, the proposal covers nanomaterials that have been intentionally added to the product, regardless of concentration.  Under the proposal, nanomaterials would be defined in accordance with the recommended definition of the European Commission.  KEMI notes that the proposal does not cover nanomaterials that are naturally occurring or unintentionally produced.  The proposal includes exemptions from the reporting requirements for companies with a turnover of less than SEK 5 million per year during a period of evaluation.  During the period of evaluation, the same exemption should also apply to nanomaterials in the form of pigment.  According to KEMI, product groups that are already exempt from reporting requirements would remain exempt for any purposes of this proposal.  Those product groups are waste, food and animal feed, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and tattoo ink.  KEMI states that its proposal does not include any reporting requirements for nanomaterials in articles as a part of the report.  KEMI suggests that such reporting requirements be studied in a separate investigation.