Singapore Tightens Paints, Solvents, Adhesives Controls via Updated Hazardous Substances Rules

Singapore has expanded regulatory oversight of paints, solvents, and adhesives through updated hazardous substances provisions, aligning with stricter environmental standards

Compliance Answer: Expanded Regulatory Oversight of Paints, Solvents, and Adhesives in Singapore

Singapore has strengthened its regulatory framework for hazardous substances, including paints, solvents, and adhesives, through amendments to the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (EPMA) and the Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations (EPM (HS) Regulations). These updates align with Singapore’s obligations under international conventions such as the Stockholm Convention, Minamata Convention, Rotterdam Convention, and Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). The expanded oversight introduces licensing requirements, usage restrictions, and tracking mechanisms for specific chemicals and mercury-added products to mitigate environmental and health risks^{1, 2, 3}.

Key Regulatory Changes and Requirements

1. Chemicals and Products Newly Regulated as Hazardous Substances

The following categories of chemicals and products are now subject to regulation under the EPMA and EPM (HS) Regulations:

2. Licensing and Compliance Requirements

Businesses engaged in activities involving the regulated substances must comply with the following obligations:

A. Licensing and Permitting

• Hazardous Substances (HS) Licence/Permit: Required for the import, export, manufacture, sale, transport, storage, and use of regulated chemicals and products containing them^{1, 2, 3}.
  • Scope: Applies to all newly regulated substances (e.g., POPs, CWC chemicals, mercury-added products, and pesticides like chlorpyrifos)^{1, 2, 3}.
  • Application Authority: National Environment Agency (NEA)^{2, 3}.
  • Exemptions: Mercury-added products will be prohibited for import, export, and manufacture from June 2025².

B. Operational and Safety Requirements

• Labelling: Containers, tanks, and vehicles used for storage/transport must comply with labelling requirements³.
• Documentation: Records of import/export, purchase/sale, use, and storage must be maintained for monitoring^{1, 2}.
• Safety Measures: Specific safety protocols for handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances³.

C. Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure

• For chemicals listed under the Rotterdam Convention (e.g., chlorpyrifos, paraquat), transboundary movements will require PIC approval¹.

3. Timeline of Key Deadlines

4. Enforcement and Penalties

• Authority: NEA is the primary regulator for hazardous substances under the EPMA and EPM (HS) Regulations^{1, 2, 3}.
• Penalties: Non-compliance may result in fines, licence revocation, or criminal charges under the EPMA¹.
• Monitoring: NEA will track the import/export, sale, use, and storage of regulated substances to ensure compliance with international obligations^{1, 2}.

Regulation Analysis

Summary Answer

Singapore has expanded regulatory oversight of paints, solvents, and adhesives by designating additional chemicals and products as hazardous substances under the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (EPMA) and Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations (EPM (HS) Regulations). Key updates include:

1. Licensing requirements for the import, export, manufacture, sale, transport, and use of POPs, mercury-added products, CWC chemicals, and pesticides (e.g., chlorpyrifos, paraquat)^{1, 2, 3}.
2. Phase-out of mercury-added products by January 2026 and prohibition of their import/export/manufacture from June 2025².
3. Operational controls, including labelling, documentation, and safety measures, to mitigate environmental and health risks³.
4. Alignment with international conventions (Stockholm, Minamata, Rotterdam, CWC) to fulfill Singapore’s obligations^{1, 2, 3}.

Businesses must apply for Hazardous Substances licences/permits from the NEA and comply with the updated requirements by the specified deadlines (e.g., June 2025 for POPs and mercury-added products, October 2025 for pesticides)^{1, 2, 3}. Non-compliance may result in enforcement actions under the EPMA.

Sources

1. ↩ ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT ACT 1999 (CHAPTER 94A) Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 4) Order 2025 and Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2025 _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN25/SGP75.DOCX
2. ↩ Environmental Protection and Management Act (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2024, (5 page(s), in English) Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024, (2 page(s), in English) _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN24/SGP74.DOCX
3. ↩ Draft Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 (Amendment of Second Schedule) (No. 2) Order 2022 (10 pages, in English) and Draft Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2022 _notification https://docs.wto.org/imrd/directdoc.asp?DDFDocuments/T/G/TBTN22/SGP66.DOCX