REACHblog®

The Environmental Audit Committee of the United Kingdom (UK) Parliament announced on November 1, 2022, that it is planning an oral evidence session later in 2022 to examine progress in implementing UK REACH, which governs the registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemical products in England, Scotland, and Wales. The Committee plans to take evidence from representatives of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). In advance...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has opened a call for evidence on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and its additives related to: Uses; European Union (EU) volumes per use sector and end-use; End-of-life information per use; and Experimental/measured release and exposure information. ECHA states that with this call, it seeks to obtain an understanding on the use volumes at the EU level per sector and for as many end-uses as feasible, but company-specific information is also welcome....

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has received restriction proposals for: 4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol (bisphenol A) and other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives with endocrine disrupting properties for the environment, prepared by the German authority. The proposal would restrict the use as an additive and the content in articles (0.02 percent by weight); restrict content of residues (unreacted monomer) in articles and for imported goods (0.02 percent by weight); restrict the use of...

On September 20, 2022, the European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on a draft delegated regulation that would amend Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) to add new hazard classes and their criteria. CLP would be amended to include hazard classes and criteria for: Endocrine disruptors; Substances and mixtures with persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) properties; Substances and mixtures with very persistent,...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently reminded only representatives (OR) that they must identify the non-European Union (EU) manufacturers that they represent and provide their contact information in REACH-IT by October 14, 2022. According to an April 24, 2022, news item, ORs must have a separate REACH-IT account for each non-EU manufacturer they represent and have the necessary registrations for each. The contact information that must be...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has begun public consultations on nine proposals to identify new substances of very high concern (SVHC). The substances and examples of their uses are: 4,4′-sulphonyldiphenol (bisphenol S; BPS): The substance is used for the manufacture of pulp, paper, and paper products; textile, leather, or fur; and chemicals. Perfluoroheptanoic acid and its salts: The substances are not registered under the Registration,...

According to an item in the August 10, 2022, ECHA Weekly, France, Ireland, and Germany are requesting interested parties to submit information related to skin sensitizing substances in consumer mixtures. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website states that this is an opportunity for all sectors to provide information on the presence of skin sensitizing substances in mixtures with consumer uses, including information on known safe uses. The call for evidence is issued to assess whether...

By Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently reminded registrants of substances with a harmonized classification to update their dossiers. According to an item in the July 13, 2022, ECHA Weekly, ECHA will soon begin a second screening project to check that companies are keeping their registrations updated. The project will focus on substances with a harmonized classification and labeling and will examine registrations where this information is not...

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published two calls for evidence on amending Annex 14 of UK REACH to include the following substances: Dicyclohexyl phthalate (DCHP); and Disodium octaborate. In December 2021, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommended which substances of very high concern (SVHC) are a priority for inclusion in Annex 14. Following HSE’s recommendation, the appropriate authorities (Defra Secretary of State, Scottish and Welsh ministers)...

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently published the UK REACH Work Programme 2022/23. The work programme sets out the activity that HSE, supported by the Environment Agency and other relevant agencies, will carry out to operate UK REACH. To complement the publication of the work programme, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the rationale used for identifying particular substances for potential regulatory action under UK REACH in 2022 to...