The European Council has formally approved a delay to the application of several core requirements under the EU’s revised Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation, pushing their start date to 1 January 2028.
These provisions had previously been scheduled to take effect from 1 July 2026 for some elements and 1 January 2027 for others.
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The decision, forming Part One of the VI Omnibus package, shifts back transitional deadlines covering relabelling, mandatory formats, advertising, online and distance sales, and fuel pump labelling.
The VI Omnibus package, unveiled in July 2025, targets administrative simplification for businesses, notably in chemicals regulation.
It simplifies labelling obligations, streamlines compliance procedures and defers certain deadlines.
The Danish presidency prioritised the file considering its immediate implications for industry, and the act was adopted without amendments by the co-legislators.
The postponement is intended to provide companies with additional time and legal certainty.
It also allows legislators more room to conclude negotiations on broader changes to the CLP framework under Part Two of the VI Omnibus package.
The council adopted its mandate for those negotiations on 5 November 2025.
The legislation approved by the council will be published in the Official Journal of the EU in the coming days and will take effect 20 days after publication.
The initiative builds on calls from EU leaders in 2024 for a coordinated push to simplify the regulatory landscape.
This reflects recommendations in former Italian PM Enrico Letta’s “Much More Than a Market” report, and economist and former Italian PM Mario Draghi’s “The Future of European Competitiveness.”
It also aligns with the Budapest Declaration of 8 November 2024, which urged a “simplification revolution” to reduce administrative and regulatory burdens, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Between February and July 2025, the Commission presented six legislative packages aimed at easing rules across sustainability, investment, agriculture and chemical products.
The VI Omnibus package consists of two proposals to streamline elements of three major EU chemicals laws while maintaining consumer health and environmental protections.
Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre stated: “The EU’s chemical sector is a cornerstone of the European economy, driving innovation, growth and creating thousands of valuable jobs across the internal market.
“With today’s suspension decision, we are giving businesses more time and legal certainty, while making the necessary simplifications that will strengthen the sector’s competitiveness and maintain high safety standards.”
