The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a six-country trade bloc, plans to adopt the UN's Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for classifying and labeling chemicals. In October 2019, Gulf Standards Organization (GSO), the representative standards body for GCC, published a draft to align its six member countries with the fifth revised edition of GHS.

The six countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar. Each country must transpose the GHS standard into legislation which is projected to take two to three years. 
 
If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for the Middle East, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering these jurisdictions including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

Australia issued the Industrial Chemicals (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Rules 2019. The effect of the instrument ensures transition for regulation of industrial chemicals, from the old scheme (NICNAS) to the new scheme (AICIS), in relation to the recognition and transition of the following:
​

• Assessment certificates;
• Commercial evaluation permits;
  
• Low volume permits;
  
• Controlled use permits;
  
• Early introduction permits;
  
• Introductions under section 21 of the old scheme;
  
• Assessment of priority existing chemicals;
  
• Secondary notification;
  
• Application fees, information, reporting and confidentiality; and
  
• Matters relating to inventory listings.

 
This instrument takes effect immediately after the commencement of Schedule 1 to the Industrial Chemicals (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2019.
 
Additional information:
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L01548. https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L01543. 

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for Australia, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

Sweden issued the Regulation amending the Regulation (2004: 1205) on trade in allowances.

The Regulation makes consequential amendments to sections 2(a), 2(c), and 2(d).

​Amendments concern the directed authority of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to plan, investigate and test allowances under the Act. Amendments also address the authority of the Swedish Transport Agency in situations involving aviation activities.
 
Additional
information: https://svenskforfattningssamling.se/doc/2019660.html. 

If you are interested in EHS regulatory products for Sweden, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools covering this jurisdiction including: EHS Legal Registers, EHS Audit Checklists, EHS Audit Checklist Supplements, EHS Quarterly Regulatory Updates, and more. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued an Interim Final Rule, with a request for public comment, titled, the “Establishment of a Domestic Hemp Production Program” (Interim Rule). The Interim Rule is the first rule to establish a national hemp regulatory program after the 2018 Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the Schedule I controlled substances list and directed the USDA to draft rules to regulate the nationwide production of hemp.
 
States are encouraged by the USDA to submit their own, potentially more restrictive, hemp programs. Generally, the Interim Rule details the following requirements for these state hemp programs:

• Collection of data for land used to produce hemp;
• Procedures for sampling and testing of THC levels;
• Procedures for disposal of non-compliant crops;
• Compliance and enforcement measures;
• Information sharing; and
• Resource sufficiency certifications.

 
The Interim Rule also makes a series of other clarifications for states on issues such as the interstate transportation of hemp, and the expiration of existing state programs.
 
Critics argue the patchwork of state rules could potentially limit growth of the hemp industry, given a lack of a uniform national standard on certain complex issues.  However, experts predict states with larger markets for hemp, such as California and Texas, will set the tone in their own regulatory programs on these issues. States with smaller markets are expected to follow in their footsteps. The Interim Rule, effective immediately, is subject to a 60-day public comment period, after which changes are likely to occur.
 
Additional information:
 
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/AMS_SC_19_0042_IR.pdf.
https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=349f1ece-0f69-40ff-bc73-8e44f861936d.   

If you are interested in regulatory products for this industry, the Isosceles Group provides a number of tools. Please contact Brittany Palmer at 617.330.2800 or [email protected] for a customized quote.