Discussions opened for the updated proposal on the European Food Contact Material legislation.

The proposal to the European legislation on Food Contact Materials (FCMs) has now been opened for public consultation. The FCM legislation has been in place since 2004 and has been criticized for not being efficient, foremost by NGOs.  

In the summer of 2022, the European Commission made a review of the current regulation, and their conclusion supported the argument as the FCM legislation was called only “partially effective”. For example, the current regulation has regulatory specificity mostly for plastics but lacks it for other materials. 

An update of the regulation has been underway since 2020 but has been slow due to the complexity of the FCM legislation. The main objectives of the FCM regulation are to secure and protect human health and to ensure the functioning of the internal market.  

The proposed updated legislation is expected to be adopted in 2023. If adopted, the initiative aims to modernize the rules, to: 

• ensure food safety & a high level of public health protection 

• reduce the presence and use of hazardous chemicals 

• take account of the latest science & technology  

• support innovation & sustainability by promoting safe reusable and recyclable solutions and help reduce the sector’s environmental impact. 

The public consultation is open from 5 October 2022 to 11 January 2023. The feedback can be submitted on the website of the European Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12497-Revision-of-EU-rules-on-food-contact-materials_en.