​On March 29, 2017, the European Commission issued Commission Regulation (EU) 2017/605, which amends Annex VI to Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on substances that deplete the ozone layer. The 2009 Regulation establishes cut-off dates after which halons should not be used for fire extinguishers and fire protection systems in “new equipment.” The 2017 Regulation clarifies the definition of “new equipment” that is regulated under the 2009 Regulation. Under the 2017 Regulation, the definition of “new equipment” depends on the date of submission of a request for certification to the appropriate regulatory authority. The 2017 Commission Regulation entered into force on the 20th day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

The State Administration of Work Safety released two sets of provisions in late March 2017. The first is in regard to hazardous chemicals production, and the second provides requirements for oil and gas fire tank protection.
 
The Ten Provisions on Hazardous Chemicals Enterprise Production Safety Assurance includes the following requirements:
 

1. Entities must be established legally and hold complete and valid licenses;
2. Entities must establish a sound and strict work safety responsibility system and a strict implementation of work schedules with leadership present;
3. Entities must ensure all employees are qualified, certified, and trained;
4. Entities must strictly control and manage major hazards and respond to emergencies scientifically;
5. Entities must rectify all hazardous risks by following the Guidance for Hazardous Chemicals Entity on the Implementation of Investigation and Management of Hazardous Risks;
6. Entities must avoid having employees operate facilities and equipment while ill or turn off the alarm system without proper authorization;
7. Entities must ensure that flammable and toxic gas leaks and other alarm systems stay within normal conditions;
8. Entities must ensure authorization before engaging in activities involving in hot work, limited space, height, hoisting, temporary electricity, earthwork, inspection and maintenance.
9. Entities may not force anyone to engage in high risk work; and
10.  Entities are forbidden to engage in illegal work or conduct activities irrelevant to work duty.

 
The Ten Provisions on Oil and Gas Tank Fire Protection includes the following requirements:
 

1. Entities are forbidden to over-heat, over-pressurize, and over-fill oil and gas storage tanks or change storage materials at will;
2. Operating personnel are forbidden to leave the site of the oil and gas tank area while conducting manual water pipe and tank cutting, or loading and unloading trucks;
3. Entities are forbidden to close the safety valve in oil and gas tanks or build a blind plate in the pressure relief system;
4. Entities are forbidden to disable the alarm and reporting system for monitoring oil and gas tank temperature, pressure, level, flammability, and toxic gas levels;
5. Entities may not operate in oil and gas tank facilities without gas inspection and operations permit;
6. For tanks with floating tops, entities must avoid the floating plate falling during transportation;
7. Entities must avoid adding an unknown substance or substances that could cause severe reactions inside of oil and gas storage tanks or pipes connecting oil and gas storage tanks;
8. Entities are forbidden from using lighting, electrical equipment and industrial equipment that are not explosion-proof in oil and gas tank areas;
9. Entities may not allow personnel that are untrained and uncertified, unrelated to oil and gas operations, or vehicles without permits to enter the oil and gas tank area; and

 Entities may now allow employees to operate in oil and gas tank areas while ill or operate faulty or incomplete oil and gas equipment.

​The Ministry of the Environment and Energy for Sweden has adopted Electrical Safety Regulation (2017:218). The Regulation repeals: Installers Regulation (1990:806), Regulation on Electrical Equipment (1993:1068) and Power Regulation (2009:22). The Regulation was created to support the Electrical Safety Act and entered into force on July 1, 2017.
 
The Regulation specifies stringent demands as to how facilities work with electrical safety. Specifically, the Regulation sets out restrictions for entities that develop and operate electrical installations, establishes safety requirements for the use of electrical equipment, and obligates public notice, reporting and recordkeeping. The Regulation also establishes other procedural requirements for authorization of electricians and development of power cables in areas of traffic, among many other things. Electrical equipment that does not meet the applicable requirements will be reported by the Electrical Safety Authority to the European Commission and other Member States of the European Union. 

​The European Parliament adopted new rules on mineral imports from conflict zones. These rules follow nearly two and a half years of debate and negotiation. They will enter into force on January 1, 2021 and will apply across all EU member states.
 
Under the rules, all but the smallest EU importers of tungsten, tantalum, tin and gold must ensure that their supply chains are not linked to armed conflicts, including those in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or in Africa’s Great Lakes region. The drafters incorporated provisions to revise the law to include and exclude certain regions depending on changes in political climate. The “due diligence” requirement aligns with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines and has the potential to change the lives of individuals caught in armed conflict. The reason for the new rules is to attempt to prevent the vicious cycle affecting mineral-rich countries afflicted by conflicts. 

On March 10, 2017, the Department of Environmental Affairs for South Africa published a draft regulation for public comment. The draft Coastal Waters Discharge Permit Regulations was developed as part of the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008. The draft regulations include requirements for applications for coastal waters discharge permits, information on assessment of application and site inspection, and conditions for approval and permit renewal. The draft also sets contingency plans and fee schedules for permit holders.
 
Interested individuals had to submit representations or comments regarding the draft regulations within 30 days after publication in the Government Gazette.

The Ministry of Labor in Taiwan, along with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of Taiwan, released the recommended Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) classifications for 6000 hazardous substances in early March. The classifications are based primarily on the classification and labeling inventory maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the recommended classifications of other international databases. 

Denmark has notified the European Commission of changes to its legislation restricting the use and sale of new wood-based materials that emit formaldehyde. The Order states that wood-based materials that emit formaldehyde in a concentration above 0.124mg/m3 should not be used in the manufacture of furniture and related parts. For sales of fixed and movable objects, which also includes furniture, the concentration limit is 0.134mg/m3. The restriction will not apply to existing furniture and parts that comply with current Danish standards, and those manufactured for export to non-EU countries. The Order also excludes construction products, furniture padding, and upholstery. Limits may be waived in special cases and conditions may be set for permits. The new limits will become effective six months after the decree's entry into force for wood-based materials, and one year after for fixed and movable furniture.