The number of reported imports and exports of hazardous chemicals into the European Union (EU) under the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) regulations continued to increase in 2022.

Helsinki, December 20, 2023 - The European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) annual report on trade in chemicals banned or severely restricted in the EU shows that imports of PIC chemicals increased more than 20 times, from 883,119.74 tons in 2021 Increase to 19 698 668.33 tons in 2022. This is due to the addition of benzene as an ingredient to the list of chemicals subject to the PIC in 2022.

Benzene-containing substances are the first “substances within substances” entry under the PIC Regulation, and 96% (18 845 530,34 tonnes) of reported imports in 2022 involved these substances.

The report also found that exports of banned or severely restricted chemicals to non-EU countries increased by 24% from 2021 to 2022. Overall, nearly 980,941,51 tonnes of PIC chemicals were exported during the year.



background

24 EU countries and 543 companies provided EU PIC chemicals export data for 2022 to ECHA. Three EU countries and Northern Ireland stated that they did not export PIC chemicals.

21 EU countries and Northern Ireland provided EU PIC chemicals import data for 2022. This information comes from 191 companies. Six EU countries declare that they do not import PIC chemicals.

Article 10 of the Prior Informed Consent Regulation requires importers and exporters to provide their designated national authorities with annual trade information for chemicals listed in Annex I to the Regulation by 31 March of the following year. Each EU country must then provide aggregated information to ECHA so that it can be aggregated at EU level and non-confidential information can be made public.