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1) The Ministry of Environment (ME) integrates the existing two regulations, which are the submission of the verification result of manufactured or imported chemicals and the import declaration of toxic substances, into a single regulation: "Notification of Chemicals Verification". Under the regulation, the government issues unique "Universal Chemical Tracking Number" to chemical substance to track and manage its use, storage and sales on the market.

2) The ME makes a legal ground that overseas manufacturer can appoint a representative and entrust the appointee with obligations of importer, including notification of chemicals verification, so that overseas manufacturer can protect its CBI and the government may impose penalty when false information is notified.

3) Off-site consequence analysis is not required to the laboratories of universities and research institutes, the facilities of elementary, middle and high schools, and a person who handles chemical substance in very small amount.

4) As regular and irregular examinations are performed in accordance with the Chemicals Control Act and the Act on Establishment of Safe Laboratory Environment in duplicate, the ME integrates them into an annual regular examination under the Act on Establishment of Safe Laboratory Environment.

New designated products with scope, energy efficiency standards and test methods: clothes dryers

-Expansion of scope: Air cleaners

Amendment to the existing regulation which seeks to:
1) establish new standards for natural cosmetics as stated below.
A. The title of the regulation changed from "Standards for Organic Cosmetics" to "Standards for Natural and Organic Cosmetics".
B. The definitions for "Natural ingredients" and "Natural origin ingredients" are newly established.
C. New standards are established for allowed ingredients, composition of ingredients, manufacturing process, package materials, etc. of natural cosmetics.
D. Method for determination of proportion of natural origin content is newly included.

2) make modifications to the existing standards on organic cosmetics as stated below.
A. The method for determination of proportion of organic content is clarified.
B. The scope of other ingredients allowed in organic cosmetics would be expanded.
C. The processes allowed for processing ingredients would be expanded.
D. More substances for cleaning would be allowed for use.

1) The Ministry of Environment announces the criteria for admitting technical equivalence of active substance and chemical similarity of biocidal product, and the way how to prepare dossier submitted for it in accordance with Article 16 and Article 25 of the Act on Consumer Chemical Products and Biocides Safety (Law No. 15511, which came into effect on 1 January 2019)
2) When a person wants to obtain approval of active substance or biocidal product that have technical equivalence or chemical similarity with already-approved substance or product, the person may apply for it with simplified data requirements. This ME Public Notice states the criteria to determinate the equivalence or similarity, and share relevant human health and environmental hazard, and the way how to prepare the dossier.

The criteria define technical equivalence of human health and environmental hazard, and chemical similarity including impurities by comparing with already-approved active substance or biocidal product.

Draft partial amendment of the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources.

Partial Amendment of the Enforcement Rule of the Noise and Vibration Control Act
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Newly-developed standards for generators and concrete cutters to control noise generating construction machinery.
As the Ministry of Environment is mandated to develop noise control standards of noise-generating construction machineries pursuant to the Noise and Vibration Control Act, it has already been implementing the standards for four out of nine types of noise-generating construction machineries since February 2014. This time, the partial amendment aims at setting up two more standards for generator and concrete cutter.

* Existing noise standards: excavator, tamping machine, loader, air compressor

Partial Amendment of the Enforcement Rule of the Noise and Vibration Control Act

- Main contents: Reporting and labelling systems of tyre noise level (Article 39-2 and 39-6, Attachment 14-2 and 14-4)

1) There are no management regulations on the noise caused by car tyres, despite its importance in car noise. Expecting reduction of road noise as well as production and supply of low noise tyres by introducing acceptable tyre noise level referring to such levels of the EU and others, this partial amendment specifies the details regarding acceptable tyre noise level, reporting of measurement result, labeling standard and method of tyre noise.

2) On January 2018, the Ministry of Environment notified WTO TBT of the revised Noise and Vibration Control Act that introduces the reporting and labelling systems of tyre noise. Its enforcement time rearranged from January 2019 to January 2020. This time, the partial amendment aims to specify relevant details to support the enforcement of the Act.

1. The Republic of Korea has amended the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources as of 24 December 2018, which will come into force on 25 December 2019. The amended Act requires that materials and structures of packaging be graded and evaluated according to their recyclability. Once the grades are determined, they should also be marked on the labels of products, which is to promote the production of easily recyclable packaging. The grades should be labelled on each product, but they have nothing to do with sales ban.

2. The Amendment of sub-Act in August 2019 is for the enforcement procedures defined in the higher Act (Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources) .

3. A grace period will be granted after the entry into force of the amended Act in consideration of industry's preparation period. Nine months will be granted for grading and evaluation and up to 15 months for labeling, which adds up to a total of 2 years for the entire grace period.

4. In addition, a ban will be imposed on PVC plastics and colored PET bottles, which have extremely negative impact on recycling process. However, if such packaging does not have substitutes available on the market or are closely related to people's diet and medicines, they will be exempt from the ban. Colored PET bottles will be banned only for mineral water and drinks.

5. In principle, a year is given to manufacturers to improve their products' recyclability. In case there have been changes in manufacturing process or for similar reasons, a 3-year improvement period is given, and if no improvement is made within this period, either the use of such product is banned or a fine is imposed.

Regulation on the Measurement of Energy Consumption Efficiency and the Labelling of Automobile Tires.

Kuwaiti mandatory standard specifies requirements for standard for Solid Concrete Blocks