Introduction
The reporting requirements for substances and preparations under Articles 48–54 of the Chemicals Ordinance (ChemO; SR 813.11) were introduced in Switzerland in their current form with the chemicals legislation in 2005 and have since been regularly updated. They arose from the notification requirements for products under the toxic substances legislation.
The reporting of new substances as specified in Art. 26 para. 3 ChemO is described in the “Guidelines for notification, reporting and declaration of new substances in accordance with the Swiss Chemicals Ordinance”.1
Separate guidance is available for reporting in accordance with the Ordinance on Biocidal Products (OBP; SR 813.12)2 and the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance (ORRChem; SR 814.81).3
With the 2018 and 2022 revisions of the ChemO, certain elements of the reporting requirements were aligned with Annex VIII to Regulation (EC) No 1272/20084 (CLP Regulation). However, marked differences still remain between the regulations in Switzerland and the EU with regard to the scope of the obligation to report and the requirements concerning reporting.5
Reports are submitted to the product register for chemicals (RPC: register des produits chimiques) via an electronic application provided free of charge by the Notification Authority for Chemicals (www.rpc.admin.ch).
This guidance is addressed to those required to submit reports, and to the federal and cantonal employees concerned. It describes in detail the reporting requirements specified in Articles 48–54 ChemO. Use of the electronic application (RPC) is described in a separate document.6
1See https://www.anmeldestelle.admin.ch/chem/en/home/themen/pflicht-hersteller/stoffe/neuer-stoff/stoffe-anmeldepflicht-ausgenommen.html
2https://www.anmeldestelle.admin.ch/chem/en/home/themen/pflicht-hersteller/zulassung-biozidprodukte.html
3https://www.anmeldestelle.admin.ch/chem/en/home/themen/recht-wegleitungen/chemikalienrecht/chemikalien-risikoreduktionsverordnung.html
4Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, OJ L 353, 31.12.2008, p. 1; last amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/776, OJ L 116, 5.5.2017, p. 1.
5Annex VIII to the CLP Regulation uses the term “notification”.
6https://www.anmeldestelle.admin.ch/chem/en/home/themen/pflicht-hersteller/chemikalienregister-rpc.html
