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Draft amendment of the Annexes 2, 3, 4 and 7 of the Ordinance on Protection against Dangerous Substances and Preparations (Chemicals Ordinance): Annex 2: The technical regulations for the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and preparations will be updated and thus adapted to technical progress in the EU (18th ATP of the EU CLP Regulation; binding from 23 November 2023).
This draft revision updates the list of harmonized classifications:
• inclusion of 39 substances;
• amendment of 17 existing entries
• one existing entry is split up in two
With this draft revision, the latest developments in test methods for substances and preparations (OECD) are adopted.
Annex 3: Four substances are included in the candidate list of substance of very high concern. This listing triggers information obligations along the supply chain.
Annex 4 (Technical Dossier for Notifications): The requirements are updated in accordance with the specifications for registrations in the EU.
Annex 7 (List of new substances for which notification is not required): Three entries are eliminated.

The amendment proposal for the Ordinance on Organic Farming of 22 September 1997 (RS 910.18) includes the following elements:
a) extension fo the scope to pet food
b) clearer provisions on the prohibition of hydroponics, incorporation of the principle of soil-bound cultivation and specification of exceptions (e.g. sprout cultivation, cultivation in pots)
d) ban of the use of nanomaterials
e) revision of the procedure for the authorisation of non-organic ingredients of agricultural origin
f) minimum requirements for organic certificates
The amendment proposal for the EAER Ordinance on Organic Farming (RS 910.181) includes the following elements:
a) use and labelling of flavourings and essential oils
b) restriction of the use of ion exchange and adsorption resin processes (after 2 years transitional period)
c) use of conventional yeast extract or autolysate in the production of organic yeast only permitted until 31.12.2023.
d) Updating of various references

The notified draft ordinance will set out stricter (1-6) or novel (7-8) minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for
1. household refrigerators;
2. household tumble driers;
3. household dishwashers;
4. professional refrigerated storage cabinets;
5. electric hot water storage heaters;
6. centralized and decentralized electric heaters;
7. professional dishwashers;
8. professional cooking appliances;
in order to reduce their respective electricity consumption and increase the national security of electricity supply. The MEPS will lead to overall cost savings for consumers and businesses over the use phase of these products. Products not meeting these requirements will not be allowed to be placed on the Swiss market. A one-year transition period will allow the selling of non-compliant appliances that have been placed on the market before the date of entry in force.

The proposed Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2022 (the proposed Regulations) aim to reduce the risk of toxic substances entering the Canadian environment contributing to the protection of Canada's environment and wildlife. The proposed Regulations would repeal and replace the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 (the current Regulations), which prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and import of certain toxic substances and products containing them, with a limited number of exemptions. The proposed Regulations would further restrict the manufacture, use, sale and import of the following five substances, which are regulated under the current Regulations, by removing exemptions, by making most remaining exemptions time-limited or by imposing other conditions:
1) Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), its salts and its precursors;
2) Perfluorooctanoic acid, its salts, and its precursors (PFOA);
3) Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts, and their precursors (LC-PFCAs);
4) Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD); and
5) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs).
The proposed Regulations would also include concentration limits for these five substances at or below which their presence would be considered incidental. The proposed Regulations would also introduce restrictions on the manufacture, use, sale and import of:
6) Dechlorane Plus (DP) and
7) Decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE).
The final screening assessments conducted in 2019 by Environment and Climate Change Canada concluded that DP and DBDPE are toxic to the environment under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. Currently, there are no risk management instruments in place respecting preventive or control actions for DP in Canada, while there are only limited controls on DBDPE through the New Substances Notifications Regulations (Chemicals and Polymers). (...) It would be possible for manufacturers or importers of HBCD, DP or DBDPE, or products containing them, to apply for a permit to continue their activities for up to three years, provided certain conditions are met. (...)

The Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 (the Regulations) prescribe energy efficiency standards for residential, commercial and industrial energy-using products. They also prescribe labelling requirements for certain products to disclose and compare the energy use of a given product model relative to others in their category. The Regulations are amended regularly to introduce or update energy efficiency and testing standards. This proposed amendment would update energy efficiency and testing standards for central air conditioners and central heat pumps primarily used in the residential sector to prevent upcoming unnecessary regulatory differences between Canada and the United States. (..:) Finally, the Amendment would specify energy-using products in order for the Minister to be able to exercise the ministerial regulations authority, at its discretion, to maintain harmonization between requirements set out in another jurisdiction.

The proposed Single-Use Plastic Prohibition Regulations (the proposed Regulations) would prohibit the manufacture, import and sale of six categories of single-use plastic items (i.e., single-use plastic checkout bags, cutlery, food service ware made from or containing problematic plastics, ring carriers, stir sticks and straws). Manufacture and import for the purposes of export would not be subject to the proposed prohibition. Checkout bags, cutlery, and straws have reusable substitutes so the proposed Regulations would identify performance standards to differentiate between single-use and reusable items for these three product categories. The Regulations would also provide exemptions for straws to accommodate people with disabilities. (...) The six categories of single-use plastic items subject to the proposed Regulations are commonly found on Canadian shorelines and terrestrial litter clean-ups. The Government estimates that the proposed Regulations would prevent 23,000 tonnes of plastic pollution over a period of ten years. (...) items, when littered, likely pose a threat of harm to wildlife through entanglement, ingestion or habitat disruption. The six categories of single-use plastic items also present barriers to fostering a circular economy in Canada that would keep plastics in the economy and out of the environment because they have low recycling rates, are known to hamper recycling or wastewater treatment systems, and have barriers to increasing recycling rates. (...)

The proposed Amendments would make necessary modifications to the Heavy-duty Vehicle and Engine Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations, the On-Road Vehicle and Engine Emission Regulations and the Marine Spark-Ignition Engine, Vessel and Off-road Recreational Vehicle Emission Regulations made under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) to maintain alignment with the corresponding technical amendments made by the U.S. EPA. (...) The proposed Amendments will affect Canadian manufacturers and importers of vehicles and engines subject to the regulations. (...)

This Botswana standard specifies requirements for six classes of fire-door and fire-shutter assemblies that are intended to close permanent openings in walls or partitions, to provide a fire resistance of at least 30 min in order to stop the spread of fire and to limit the spread of smoke. (...)

This Botswana Standard specifies characteristics of a powdered low – foam laundry detergent intended for the washing (using domestic washing machines), in either hard or soft water, of textiles made of cotton and or synthetic fibre yarns.

This Botswana Standard covers general requirements for materials, leaf spring assembly and individual spring leaves for road vehicles.