Regulation & Compliance

EuPIA or the European Printing Ink Association, a division within CEPE (European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists' Colours Industry), is an organization representing the interests of the printing ink industry within Europe. EuPIA has developed an exclusion policy that outlines the types of raw materials that should not be used in the production of printing inks due to health concerns.

It's important to note that this is a policy established by the ink industry association and not a law. The primary purpose of this policy is to protect the health and safety of the workers of the ink and printing industry, as well as the end users of printed materials.

ECHA, otherwise known as the European Chemicals Agency, has as main goal the protection of the environment and people in mind, protecting them from the possible risks posed by chemicals in Europe. They provide everyone within our industry with advice, tools and support, and serve the European Union with transparent and independent scientific opinions and studies, lying at the basis of Union measures. 

REACH, Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical substances, is a EU legislation that requires ink and varnish manufacturers to only use REACH registered substances. Inks and varnishes are mixtures, and thus do not require to be REACH registered.

A Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) is a substance (or part of a group of chemical substances) that may have serious and/or irreversible effects on human and environmental health.  When a substance is identified as a SVHC, it will be added to the SVHC Candidate List by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which is the first step in the procedure for the authorisation or restriction of said chemical.

After a substance has been made subject to the SVHC candidate list, the ECHA commissions a technical report which analyses the available information on manufacture, imports, uses and releases of the substance, as well as possible alternatives. On the basis of this report, the ECHA decides whether or not to make a recommendation to the European Commission to add the substance to Annex XIV of the REACH Regulation.

Any substance part of the SVHC Candidate List is regulated under REACH. It is expected that manufacturers in the EU manage the risks of these substances of very high concern by providing the necessary safety information to customers and consumers on the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). It is important to note that using SVHCs in products is not banned entirely, but that a producer needs to monitor and report of these substances in order to be REACH compliant.

GMP, Good Manufacturing Practices, assists in controlling food safety hazards in the design and manufacture of inks, varnishes and coatings designed to be printed onto Food Contact Materials ( or FCM ). 

Central to the compliance of food contact materials are the European Framework regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004) and the Good Manufacturing Practices regulation (Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006). By adhering to these regulations, manufacturers of the final printed product can ensure that their products are safe for indirect food contact.

It is important to note that the last player in the chain confirms in writing that the final article is compliant with the relevant legislation (Declaration of Compliance). As manufacturer of low migration inks and coatings, we can assist you in this documentation by giving our customers a SoC, Statement of Composition, of the requested ink or coating.