Latest News on REACH
REACH is a major reform of chemicals management legislation in Europe and although the legal text has been published, further interpretation of the legal text and guidance on practical application is being developed. A range of stakeholders are involved in the management aspects of the European Chemicals Agency and many decision making committees have been set up to make the REACH process as transparent as possible.
REACH News
June 2010
ECHA published a new guidance document in connection with avoiding animal testing. The aim of the guidance is to ensure that companies consider all possible alternative methods for data generation on hazards, as the aim of the REACH regulation is limit testing on vertebrate animals.
May 2010
A new version of REACH-IT, the online portal through which companies can submit data to ECHA was made available. It includes features such as an online functionality allowing companies to prepare their Classification and Labeling. No further features will be introduced to REACH-IT before November 2010.
January 2009
The CLP regulation ((EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures) entered into force on 20 January 2009 and applies across the European Union. It amends and repeals directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amends Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH). For further information see the ECHA website.
December 2008
Pre-registration for phase-in substances ends December 1, 2008.
November 2008
The Nordic Council released on the availability of information to adequately manage toxics in everyday consumer products. Download Toxic Substances in Articles: The Need for Information.
July 2008
The European Chemicals Agency has prepared REACH Annex XV, the first list of 15 candidate substances for authorization; substances of very high concern (SVHC). SVHCs are defined as carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins, are persistent, bioaccumulative or toxic, or as identified on an individual basis. This list is not yet final as the Agency has opened the list up for comments. Additional substances will be added to the list over time as Member States prepare additional chemical dossiers.
April 2008
The REACH workshop "Final Countdown to Pre-Registration and Registration of Chemicals" that was organized by the European Commission and the European Chemicals Agency took place in Brussels on April 14, 2008. Information on the workshop can be found here.
Commission Regulation (EC) No 340/2008 of April 16, 2008 on the fees and charges payable to the European Chemicals Agency pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) was published.
Furthermore an updated overview of Frequently Asked Questions on REACH by the industry was published on April 9.
There were many negotiations ongoing on the interpretation of the REACH text. According to the final decision, an only representative (OR) should not aggregate the tonnages from different non-EU manufacturers or importers of the same substance for registration purposes. Work has however been going on in the REACH Implementation Projects RIPs looking at the interpretation of the duties of ORs. The following advice has now been given by the ECHA which changes the position. The implication is now that an OR would aggregate the volumes from different non-EU manufacturers of the same substance. This could have implications, positive and negative; negative, as if they use the same OR for the same substance the tonnages will be aggregated which could mean they end up in a higher tonnage band and positive in that the registration costs will be shared.
Question: "If the same only representative is appointed by two separate non-EU manufacturers of the same substance, is one registration submitted for a combined tonnage or is one registration per non-EU manufacturer required?"
ECHA answer: "An only representative can be appointed by several non-EU manufacturers, formulators or article producers, even for the same substance. In this case, the only representative has to aggregate the volumes of the different non-EU manufacturers, formulators or article producers because the only representatives are treated as importers. As explained by UK, importers do aggregate tonnage."
For more on the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling (GHS) as it relates to REACH, see Publications.
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