In late November 2025, the European Commission officially told the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it has prepared a draft update to the EU’s CLP Regulation — this is the regulation that sets out how chemicals are classified, labelled and packaged in the EU.
This draft update is known as the 24th Adaptation to Technical Progress, or 24th ATP. What makes it noteworthy is that it proposes new harmonised CMR classifications under the CLP. CMR stands for carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction, and these are hazard categories used across EU chemical laws.
If these new CMR classifications are eventually adopted into EU law, they would automatically have implications for other EU rules — especially the Cosmetics Regulation. Under that regime, substances classified as CMRs are generally prohibited in cosmetic products unless a scientific safety review finds they can still be used safely.
So, the Commission’s notification to the WTO isn’t just a dry legal step — it signals a proposal that could mean new CMR hazard listings, which in turn could lead to additional cosmetic ingredient bans or restrictions once the draft goes through the EU’s usual adoption process.
