EuPIA Charter on Raw Material Selection and Exclusion for Printing Inks and Related Products
What is the EuPIA Charter?
The EuPIA Charter is not widely known outside the printing industry. It is an important code of practice protecting the health and safety of workers in the ink and printing industries and, consequently, of end users of printed materials. It is a voluntary initiative that companies outside Europe can also adhere to.
Some History
In 1996, European printing ink companies took over existing national stewardship initiatives to create the so-called “Exclusion List for Printing Inks and Related Products.” It applied stricter rules to the manufacture and marketing of inks than existing legal requirements. By taking this responsibility, the European ink industry assumed a proactive lead in product stewardship.
Since 2003, the European printing ink industry has been represented by EuPIA and has maintained such important tasks through its EuPIA Technical Committee (ETC), which, over the years, has amended and adapted the Exclusion List to reflect regulatory and scientific progress.
In 2016, the internationally recognized “Exclusion List” was revised and reissued as the “Exclusion Policy”. Following eight subsequent revisions, the ETC took a significant step forward by introducing the EuPIA Charter in 2026, which is firmly grounded in the foundational principles established by the previous policies.
Ensuring safety with considerations on hazard & risk
Until 2016, the criteria of the then “Exclusion List” were entirely hazard-based.
Between 1996, when the “Exclusion List” was established, and 2016, when the “Exclusion Policy” replaced it, new legislation rendered the use of chemicals within the EU much safer.
Since 2008, the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation (EC No 1272/2008) has required companies to classify, label and package their chemicals before placing them on the market in accordance with legally binding rules. It sets common standards to help consumers and workers make informed decisions when handling hazardous products and incorporates the classification and labelling principles agreed at UN level under the Globally Harmonised System (GHS). New or revised harmonised classifications for substances and mixtures are frequently introduced.
Since 2007, the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of chemicals (REACH, Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) has been the main EU law to protect human health and the environment from the risks that chemicals may pose. It does so through better and earlier identification of intrinsic substance properties and through appropriate measures such as the restriction or phasing‑out of substances of very high concern. REACH also places the responsibility on industry to manage these risks and provide relevant safety information. Use and exposure data are key elements of this system.
Against the background of these two robust regulatory frameworks, the Exclusion Policy—and now, even more so, the EuPIA Charter—focuses on the safe use of substances in printing ink manufacture and adopts a more risk‑based approach.
The EuPIA Charter covers all types of printing inks
The EuPIA Charter applies to all types of printing inks and related products applied in all types of printing processes for all end-use applications in Europe. One of its overarching principles remains the substitution of those raw materials that pose a severe hazard to human health.
For such raw materials, the Charter defines rules for managing substitution procedures or, where immediate replacement is not feasible, sets out the conditions under which prolonged safe use may be justified. In this way, potential negative impacts on customers’ processes and business continuity can be mitigated while maintaining the highest health and safety standards.
EuPIA members individually declare their commitment to the EuPIA Charter
The Charter has been launched and is coordinated by EuPIA; however, it is a voluntary initiative and individual companies – not EuPIA as an industry association – commit to its principles.