- What is N-Class -

THE N-CLASS DATABASE

The present database contains substances that have been discussed or are at present being discussed by the European Commission on the Classification and Labelling for environmental effects. Hence, the database contains both substances assessed as dangerous for the environment and others that are not assessed as dangerous. The latter ones may be based on data or not assessed as dangerous due to insufficient data. The database gives the full record on physical/chemical, health and environmental effect classification for substances placed on Annex I of Directive 67/548/EEC.

Substance specific data, gathered from various documents that have been discussed at Commission workin group meetings on environmental effects (mainly covering ecotoxicity), may be found in the N-Class database.

In order to make the classification process as transparent as possible the database presents classification strategies, i.e. criteria and praxis of their application. These include also special cases, where the nature of the substances has required development of new classification approaches, e.g. metals and complex hydrocarbons. Also guidance for interpretation of the basic elements in environmental hazard classification (i.e. toxicity, degradation and bioaccumulation) is described in detail.

Based on hazardous components the N-Class database calculate aquatic classifications of preparations both according to Directive 1999/45/EEC and to the Globally Harmonized System (GHS).

In Annex I of Directive 67/548/EEC there is at present approximately 3300 entries (substances or groups of substances). In the N-Class database each substance is identified by its CAS-number. Therefore, the number of entries in the N-Class database is much higher, at present approximately 7800.

The published Adaptations to Technical Progress (of Directive 67/548/EEC on the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances, at present up to No 29) as well as Summary Records from Working Group meetings (cover industrial chemicals as well as active substances in pesticides) are included in the database and linked to the various substances. (Please note that some Summary Records may still be in a draft version and therefore not accessible to the general public.)

PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY EUROPEAN UNION LEGISLATION PUBLISHED IN THE PAPER EDITIONS OF THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION IS DEEMED AUTHENTIC.

The steering group for the Nordic Council of Ministers project on Hazard Classification and Labelling is responsible for updating the N-Class database. The members representing each of the Nordic countries are at present:

From Denmark:	Henning Clausen and Lena Höglund 
		Danish Environmental Protection Agency

From Finland:	Riitta Leinonen
		Finnish Environment Institute

Paul Kreuzer and Lars Nylund
		National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health
		Chemicals Department

From Norway:	Stine Husa, solvår Hardeng and Christine Bjørge 
		Norwegian Pollution Control Authority

From Iceland:	Sigrun  Guðmundsdóttir and Níels Jónsson
		Environment and Food Agency of Iceland

From Sweden:	Jonas Falck, Lennart Dock and  Pernilla Karlsson
		Swedish Chemicals Agency

In the database 7897 substances are included. 702 are mineral oils, marked with 'Nota H' and hence subject for industry self classification. The statistics below are based on the remaining 7195 substances

Of these are

4263

classified as dangerous for the environment

and assigned the symbol 'N',

473

classified as dangerous for the environment

but not assigned the symbol 'N',

1138

not classified as dangerous for the environment

based on data,

996

not classified as dangerous for the environment

due to "lack of data"

The rest 325 substances may still be under debate

The Nordic Council of Ministers