Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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734. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a reassessment of the use of Bishpenol S (BPS) in products such as paper receipts handled daily by workers and by the public given that high levels of contact with the chemical can lead to reproductive problems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20588/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Under occupational health and safety (OSH) legislation there is no specific occupational exposure limit (OEL) for dermal contact exposure for Bisphenol S (BPS). Exposure to employees therefore needs to be risk assessed like any other chemical hazard in line with the 2001 Chemical Agent Regulations as amended, by the employer, and controls put in place as relevant with focus on dermal exposure.

The substance Bisphenol S (EC number 201-250-5, BPS) has a harmonised classification in Annex VI of the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation (EC No 1272/2008) for reproductive toxicity category 1B. Under the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) Regulation (EC No 1907/2006), it has also been identified as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) and included on the Candidate List due to its toxicity to reproduction and endocrine disrupting properties for human health and the environment. The sale of the substance on its own or in a chemical mixtures to consumers is restricted.

Thermal paper can be coated with Bisphenol-S (BPS) to assist in the heat-activated printing process. BPS acts as a colour developers. The use of BPS in thermal paper (receipts) has been identified in the REACH registration dossier. Such receipts are handled by workers and consumers.

It should also be noted that there is an existing restriction under REACH which specifies that bisphenol A (previously used as a colour developer on receipts) shall not be placed on the market in thermal paper in a concentration equal to or greater than 0.02% by weight. This restriction only applies to bisphenol A and not other bisphenol derivatives like BPS.

The Belgian Competent Authority (CA) for REACH finalised their evaluation of BPS in 2023. In addition to the harmonized classification under CLP and the identification as an SVHC REACH, the Belgian CA concluded that BPS is a potential candidate for the restriction process under REACH.

The Restriction process under REACH may be initiated by Members States, the Commission or the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). It involves the preparation of an annex XV dossier to assess the exposure of that to determine if the use of the substance is adequately controlled or not. ECHA committees review the dossier and prepare a scientific opinion for the Commission. The Commission can also propose a restriction for substances classified as carcinogenic, germ cell mutagenic and toxic to the reproduction (CMR) categories 1A and 1B without the involvement of ECHA's Committees.

If the usage of BPS is determined to be an unacceptable risk like BPA then the Commission together with the Member States will decides if the risk needs to be addressed on a Union-wide basis through a restriction.

The development of restriction proposals under REACH is managed under the European Commission’s “Restrictions Roadmap”. There are relevant planned restriction proposals listed on the roadmap for BPS. In particular, the EU Commission and ECHA are currently considering the need to prepare a restriction proposal covering “bisphenols” (including bisphenol A and structurally related derivatives of which BPS is one) and a restriction covering “substances used in thermal paper”, which would potentially look to expand the existing restriction on the use of bisphenol A in thermal paper to include BPS. The European Commission has yet to release further details regarding the timing and scope of these actions.