REACH regulation

06/2009

REACH, the new EU regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, took effect 1 June, 2007. The aim of REACH is to protect human health and the environment, maintain the competitiveness of the European chemical industry and prevent fragmentation of the internal market. This regulation is applicable in the same way across the 27 Member States of the European Union.

It requires manufacturers and importers of substances in quantities exceeding 1 tonne to submit a registration to the European Chemical Agency.

UPDATE

REACH registration dossier for mercury being prepared

For mercury and the chlor-alkali industry the European REACH constitutes a special case. As a sector, we are no producer or importer of mercury but only a user. This means that legally our sector has no obligation to register mercury but being a user we should ensure that “someone” registers mercury.
This is why Euro Chlor is discussing the matter with a recycling company that is willing to take the leadership on the preparation of a dossier, preparation in which we will actively participate because we have gathered a considerable knowledge on risk assessments for mercury in the use we make of it. This knowledge comprises the environmental impact in the plant’s neighborhood and workers’ health.
We estimate that the registration dossier will be ready on time by December 2010.

Contact: Véronique Garny, Science Director, tel. +32 2 676 7232

REACH Consortium for chlorinated solvents

The newly established chlorinated solvents REACH consortium covers the five substances tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and dichloromethane. There is a lead company for every substance and it is envisaged that this company will also be the SIEF facilitator and later on also the lead registrant for a joint submission of the substance.
The chlorinated solvents REACH consortium is managed by ReachCentrum and the technical dossiers are prepared by two different consultants. The contacts with the SIEF participants are ongoing. Several external companies organised in the SIEF have shown their interest in joining the consortium.
Companies interested in joining the chlorinated solvents REACH consortium  please contact the secretariat at chlorsolv@reachcentrum.eu.
Contact: Wolfgang Marquardt, ECSA Manager, tel. +32 2 676 7228

REACH consortia announced for chlor-alkali compounds and derivatives

European producers are launching consortia to register several chlorinated substances and chlor-alkali derivatives under REACH by December 2010. Substances covered are: carbon tetrachloride, caustic soda, chlorine, chloroform, ethylene dichloride, hydrogen chloride, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, perchloroethylene, potassium carbonate, potassium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite and trichloroethylene.

The consortia are managed by ReachCentrum and contacts with SIEF participants are either on-going or will start soon.

If you are interested to know more about these consortia, please contact the Secretariat at the following e-mail addresses or click on the following substance names to be taken to the substance websites:

Carbon tetrachloridechlorsolv@reachcentrum.eu
Chlorinechlorine@reachcentrum.eu
Chloroformchlorsolv@reachcentrum.eu
Ethylene dichloride edc@reachcentrum.eu
Hydrogen chlorideHCl@reachcentrum.eu
Methyl chlorideinfo@reachcentrum.eu
Methylene chloridechlorsolv@reachcentrum.eu
Perchloroethylenechlorsolv@reachcentrum.eu
Potassium carbonatek2co3@reachcentrum.eu
Potassium hydroxidekoh@reachcentrum.eu
Sodium hydroxidenaoh@reachcentrum.eu
Sodium hypochloritehypo@reachcentrum.eu
Trichloroethylenechlorsolv@reachcentrum.eu

The chlorinated paraffins (medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCP), long-chain chlorinated paraffins (LCCP) and sulpho-chlorinated paraffins) will be managed separately by a contracting company at the following address: cpia.reach@gmail.com. The most recent conosrtium status updates for the MCCP consortium can be found here, and for LCCP, here. The uses identified for LCCP are contained in this document.

A consortium could be formed for short-chain chlorinated paraffins. If interested, you can contact cpia.reach@gmail.com 

REACHing out to SIEF participants

If most of the Science Team’s activities on REACh were about the finalisation and consolidation of the consortium agreements, the main attention will now go to contacting the SIEF participants – which are non members – and making it clear to them that now is the time to join us.

Covered uses of substances

 The scope of the Consortium has been agreed between the current members (e.g. which uses of a substance is now covered). Access to other manufacturers, importers and only representatives has been opened. They will have the choice either to join the Consortium or to buy a “letter of access” by the time the dossier will be finished at the end of 2009 or in 2010.

Earlier Euro Chlor activities

From September 2006 on, Euro Chlor members were committed to ensure joined work for the preparation of registration for chlorine and some of its derivatives (list). All pre-registrations have been submitted to the European Chemical Agency by 1 December 2008. As of 1 January 2009 the Chemical Agency published the list of the pre-registered substances and all manufacturers/importers who notified their intention to register the same substance participate in the Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF).

Whilst Companies needed to pre-register and notify accordingly the EU Chemical Agency by 1 December 2008, it is important to bear in mind that there are different deadlines for the registration:

  • Manufacturers/importers supplying a substance above 1,000 tonnes/year, or a CMR cat. 1 or 2 substances above 1 tonne/year, or an R50-53 substance (PBT/vPvB) above 100 tonnes/year: 1 December 2010
  • Manufacturers/importers supplying a substance above 100 tonnes/year: 1 June 2013
  • Manufacturers/importers supplying a substance above 1 tonne/year: 1 June 2018

Contact information

For more information on Euro Chlor activities on REACH, please contact

- Dolf Van Wijk (+32 2 6767370) for chlorine, its main derivatives and chlorinated paraffins
- Wolfgang Marquardt for chlorinated solvents (+32 2 6767228).
E-mail: eurochlor@cefic.be 

And visit the following well documented links: