Latest Developments in the EU REACH Regulation
According to ECHA announcements, the latest developments regarding the EU's push for the REACH regulation are as follows:
(a) ECHA/NA/09/22: ECHA will hold a Substance Indentity Workshop in Helsinki on December 1, 2009. The agenda can be downloaded online: http://echa.europa.eu/doc/press/events/sid_workshop_20091201/sid_workshop_agenda_draft_20091016.pdf.
(b) ECHA/NA/09/23: ECHA will hold its third "Stakeholders’ Day" in Helsinki on December 7 of this year. Key topics include CLP (Classification and Labelling), REACH enforcement, and Registration dossiers and compliance. The agenda and related information can be found online: http://echa.europa.eu/news/events/3rd_stakeholders_day_en.asp.
(iii) Information from ECHA/NA/09/24: EU Member States have established a single help net for REACH and CLP. Information can be found online at: http://echa.europa.eu/help/nationalhelp_en.asp.
(iv) ECHA/NA/09/25 Notification: The summary outline of the ECHA Notification on the Safety Assessment Report of Chemical Substances can be downloaded from the website: http://guidance.echa.europa.eu/docs/guidance_document/nutshell_guidance_csa_en.pdf.
(v) ECHA/NA/09/26 Notice: Since Sweden and Germany have recently proposed to ECHA to revise the classification and labeling of the following chemical substances: (1) Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) flame retardant has reproductive toxicity and should be classified as Category 3, and should be labeled "May cause harm to breastfed babies" (Note: HBCDD is mostly used in heat insulation panels, packaging products and textiles, etc.); (2) Cryolite produced by electrolytic cells in aluminum production: Due to the reproductive toxicity of Cryolite, it should be labeled "Possible risk of harm to the unborn child" and "irritating to eyes", and it is recommended to remove the current inappropriate label "harmful if swallowed". These proposals have been confirmed and are now open for public comment by ECHA. For details, please visit: http://echa.europa.eu/consultations/harmonised_cl_en.asp
(vi) Information from ECHA/NA/09/27 (see Article 67 of the REACH Regulation): ECHA's regulations on the control of restricted chemical substances will establish a special safety net (or Restriction web pages: http://echa.europa.eu/reach/restriction_en.asp). This website is still under construction and is expected to be completed within a few months. In addition to the existing regulations in Annex XVII of REACH, any new standards and regulations to be added in the future will be proposed by the competent authorities of Member States or the EHCA. [Note: EU Council Directive 76/769/EEC will be incorporated into Annex XVII of REACH from June 1, 2009. The regulations on the restriction of the production, sale and use of hazardous chemical substances, preparations and articles in this annex are already quite complex. Future revisions to the candidate list will make it even more difficult for finished product (article) manufacturers to comply, as these substances require prior authorization and approval from ECHA before use. Therefore, this group recommended last year that the EU should separately classify chemical substances that affect product safety and provide downstream businesses with information for reference and compliance.] This is because if manufacturers fail to obtain alternative chemical substances or are limited by production technology, it will directly affect their products' access to the EU market.
– Reference source: Letter from the Economic Section of the Permanent Mission of China to the European Union and Belgium, November 16, 2009
