Formacare’s views on the new ECHA Guidelines on measuring formaldehyde releases from articles and formaldehyde concentrations in vehicle interiors (April 2025)
Formacare supports ECHA guidelines as a key step for industry clarity, while noting areas for further refinement
The members of Formacare acknowledge the publication of the ECHA Guidelines as a valuable step forward for downstream users of formaldehyde scoped by the EU REACH Restriction on formaldehyde emissions from articles and in vehicles (Regulation (EU) 2023/1464, entry 77 to REACH Annex XVII, July 2023). The guidelines offer much-needed clarity and provide concrete technical input to operators navigating compliance requirement*. The publication also marks a pivotal moment in the wider regulatory effort to establish new global milestones for formaldehyde safety. While broadly welcomed across the formaldehyde value chain, Formacare experts have identified a number of corrections that would benefit from limited updates to further enhance the accuracy and practical applicability of the document.
Articles such as wood-based panels and furniture that emit more than 0.062 mg/m3 of formaldehyde emissions will no longer be allowed on the EU market as of August 2026; the same deadline would apply to other types of articles if they emit more than 0.08 mg/m3. Vehicles that would expose their passengers to more than 0.062 mg/m3 of formaldehyde emissions will be restricted as of August 2027.
While reviewing the Guidelines with industry partners, Formacare experts identified a series of technical corrections or clarifications for which we consider that limited adjustments from ECHA would be necessary. Formacare has outreached to the agency in this regard.
Last but not least, Formacare regrets that the Guidelines do not offer yet, in two specific areas, the level of clarification industry operators need to demonstrate compliance to competent national authorities. Addressing these gaps with the competent authorities for REACH is considered of utmost importance. In the meantime, Formacare is actively liaising with the relevant sectors to jointly identify practical solutions.
As stated in the Guidelines, Formacare and its industry partners now look forward to the announced “‘Questions and Answers on Restriction” document being developed by ECHA and the European Commission. We remain committed to supporting regulators by providing the most accurate and relevant information available on the scope of the Restriction.
* Formacare also welcomes the update of the Compendium of Analytical Methods by the Enforcement Forum of ECHA in May 2025. This is another very positive signal toward a level playing field in ensuring compliance across the European Union on formaldehyde safety.
