Archives

May 8, 2024

Stakeholders Can Express Interest until May 9, 2024, in RAC and SEAC June Meetings on PFAS

The May 2, 2024, ECHA Weekly includes an item on the June 3-6, 2024, meeting of the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) and June 4-7, 2024, meeting of ECHA’s Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC). ECHA states that the plenary meetings will address the following topics concerning the universal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  (PFAS) restriction proposal: ECHA notes that additionally, RAC and SEAC will discuss pending issues from the previous...
March 29, 2024

ECHA Checks More than 20 Percent of REACH Registration Dossiers for Compliance

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on February 27, 2024, that between 2009 and 2023, it performed compliance checks of approximately 15,000 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registrations, representing 21 percent of full registrations. ECHA states that it met its legal target for dossier evaluation, which increased from five percent to 20 percent in 2019. ECHA notes that for substances registered at quantities of 100 metric tons or more per...
March 18, 2024

ECHA Clarifies Next Steps for PFAS Restriction Proposal

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued a press release on March 13, 2024, to outline how the Scientific Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) will progress in evaluating the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Europe. As reported in our February 13, 2023, memorandum, the national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted a proposal to restrict more than 10,000 PFAS under the...
February 23, 2024

ECHA Begins Public Consultation on Recommending Authorization for Five SVHCs and Adding a New Hazard to DBP

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on February 7, 2024, that it is considering recommending the following substances for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Authorization List: ECHA states that it is looking for further information on the uses of these substances in scope of authorization, their possible exemptions from the authorization requirement, and on the structure and complexity of the supply chains. ECHA encourages REACH...
February 9, 2024

ECHA’s New Database for Chemicals Includes Information from all REACH Registrations

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on January 30, 2024, the launch of ECHA CHEM, its “new solution for publishing information on chemicals.” According to ECHA, the first version of ECHA CHEM includes information from the more than 100,000 Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulation (REACH) registrations that companies have submitted to ECHA. On the support page for ECHA CHEM, ECHA notes that as it gradually transfers the data it makes publicly...
January 23, 2024

ECHA Adds Five Chemicals to Candidate List of SVHCs for Authorization

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on January 23, 2024, that it added five chemicals to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) for authorization and updated the existing entry for dibutyl phthalate to include its endocrine-disrupting properties for the environment: Substance Name Reason for Inclusion Examples of Uses 2,4,6-Tri-tert-butylphenol Toxic for reproduction (Article 57(c))   Persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) (Article 57(d)) Manufacture...
December 14, 2023

ECHA Calls for Evidence on Certain Chromium (VI) Substances

According to an item in the December 13, 2023, issue of the ECHA Weekly, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is looking for information for a potential restriction of certain chromium (VI) substances under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulation (REACH). ECHA has opened a call for evidence targeting companies using chromium (VI) substances. ECHA seeks information on: The call for evidence is intended for interested parties, such as private companies...
October 26, 2023

ECHA Finds REACH Registrations in Breach of Update Requirement

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on September 27, 2023, that it carried out two campaigns during 2021-2023 to remind companies of their obligation to keep their Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registrations up to date. According to ECHA, 57 of the 689 screened registrations, from 50 companies in 11 European Union (EU) member states, are still in breach of the update requirements under REACH Article 22. ECHA states that it reported...
September 22, 2023

ECHA Enforcement Forum Publishes Advice on Enforceability on Restricting Creosote

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on September 13, 2023, that to improve transparency of the legislative process, its Enforcement Forum has decided to make its advice on the enforceability of Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation restriction proposals public. According to ECHA, Forum advice will from now on be available on ECHA’s website. The first published advice is on the proposal to restrict creosote and related substances in...
September 18, 2023

ECHA Begins Public Consultation on Six Proposals to Identify New SVHCs

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has begun a public consultation on six proposals to identify new substances of very high concern (SVHC). The substances, including examples of their uses, are: Comments are due October 16, 2023. If a substance is identified as an SVHC, it will be added to the Candidate List for eventual inclusion in Annex XIV of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation (the authorization list)....
August 22, 2023

ECHA Publishes Main Alternatives to Substances Subject to REACH Authorization

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced in the August 16, 2023, issue of ECHA Weekly that to support substitution toward safer chemicals, it has published information on the main alternatives to substances requiring authorization under Annex XIV of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. ECHA notes that companies applying for an authorization under REACH must provide information on potential alternatives to the Annex XIV...
June 30, 2023

ECHA Accepting Comment on Draft SEAC Opinion on Proposed MCCP Restriction Proposal

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is seeking comment on the draft opinion of its Committee for Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC) concerning the restriction proposal for medium-chain chlorinated paraffins (MCCP) and other substances that contain chloroalkanes with carbon chain lengths within the range of C14 to C17. According to the Information Note on SEAC’s draft opinion, substances containing chloroalkanes with carbon chain lengths from C14 to C17 are used in various sectors and in a broad...
June 28, 2023

Registration Now Open for “Preparing a PFAS Game Plan in the U.S., the UK, and the EU” Webinar

10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (EDT)4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (CEST) REGISTER NOW Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are attracting global legal, regulatory, commercial, and litigation attention as no other “emerging contaminant” has. Companies producing, processing, distributing, and/or using these substances must be aware of these global legal developments and take steps now to minimize legal, regulatory, and commercial risk. In the United States and globally, the number...
June 16, 2023

ECHA Adds Two Chemicals to Candidate List of SVHCs

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on June 14, 2023, that it has added two new chemicals to the Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC). One is toxic for reproduction, and the other has very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) hazardous properties. According to ECHA, their uses include in inks and toners and in the production of plastic products. ECHA provides the following information regarding the chemicals: Substance Name Reason for Inclusion...
May 26, 2023

ECHA Publishes Annual Report on Helpdesk Activities

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published its annual report on helpdesk activities. According to the annual report, in 2022, the national helpdesks (NHD) replied to almost 43,000 enquiries, and the ECHA Helpdesk to almost 9,500 questions. The annual report states that responses provided through the survey reflect the activities of the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP), and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Chemicals (REACH)...
May 16, 2023

ECHA Calls for Evidence on Analytical Methods to Measure CMR Substances in Childcare Articles

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has begun a call for evidence on analytical methods to measure carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic substances (CMR) in childcare articles. ECHA states that the European Commission (EC) has requested that ECHA prepare a report on CMRs in childcare articles. According to ECHA, this work will support the EC in the preparation of a restriction proposal for CMR 1A or 1B substances in childcare articles on the basis of Article 68(2)...
May 4, 2023

ECHA Publishes Q&A Document Following the April 5, 2023, PFAS Restriction Proposal Online Information Session

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published on May 3, 2023, the Question and Answer (Q&A) document following the April 5, 2023, online information session on the proposal to restrict more than 10,000 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. As reported in our April 7, 2023, memorandum, national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted the proposal...
May 3, 2023

ECHA Recommends Eight Substances for REACH Authorization

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on April 12, 2023, that it has recommended that the EC add the following substances to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Authorisation List: ECHA states that it prioritized these substances from the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) for this recommendation “as they are of the highest priority, following the agreed approach of 2014.” The European Commission (EC) will determine...
March 23, 2023

Public Consultation Begins on PFAS Restriction Proposal; ECHA Will Hold Information Session on April 5

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on March 22, 2023, the beginning of a six-month consultation on the proposal to restrict more than 10,000 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. As reported in our February 13, 2023, memorandum, the national authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden submitted the proposal after finding risks in the manufacture, placement...
March 14, 2023

ECHA Enforcement Forum Project Finds Most Downstream Users Adhere to “Fundamental” Authorization Duties

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on March 8, 2023, the results of the Enforcement Forum’s European Union (EU)-wide project on inspections of Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) authorization duties. During the project, the enforcement authorities of 28 countries carried out 690 inspections at 516 companies. According to ECHA, the most commonly controlled substances of very high concern (SVHC) were chromium trioxide and strontium chromate....