ECHA

Greetings from a very snowy Helsinki. This is our last newsletter of 2012 and I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a happy Christmas and a healthy and successful 2013. This publication is our little Christmas gift for you – our first online Newsletter. We have responded to your feedback and, by using an online format, we are making the Newsletter more interactive and modern. You will also find it much easier to share articles of interest with your colleagues – individual stories can be sent as a simple link which won't clog up email inboxes. Also, by providing the newsletter in its own little website makes it easier for you to find what you're looking for from past editions.

For the first time, national helpdesks contributed to ECHA's Lead Registrant Workshop and training held in Helsinki from 11 to 12 October 2012. ECHA invited representatives from the national helpdesks with the largest number of registrants to the event: Belgium, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The Lead Registrant Workshop offered an opportunity for the national helpdesks to meet lead registrants, and promote their work. The helpdesk experts conveyed an unambiguous message: "We are committed to supporting industry towards the second registration deadline in 2013."

Italian firm Endura SPA is a small and medium sized enterprise (SME) taking a leading role in the REACH registration process. Mr Giovanni Prota, working in Endura SPA's Regulatory Affairs Department, is managing the dossier for piperonyl butoxide (PBO). The substance was registered in 2010. At that time, the registration dossier was prepared by external consultants. "We have now changed our REACH strategy and taken over the dossier from the consultants. We are already managing the updates internally," says Mr Prota.

ECHA is looking to involve stakeholders in its work under the new Biocidal Products Regulation, which enters into operation in September 2013.

The third meeting of the Exchange Network on Exposure Scenarios (ENES) in November discussed topics such as exposure scenarios for mixtures, preparing and communicating good quality chemical safety assessments, scaling, and the progress made since the previous meeting in May 2012.

Help is at hand to improve assessment of the environmental impacts of chemicals - specific environmental release categories (SpERCs).

ECHA successfully met the legal deadline of 1 December 2012 for examining testing proposals from the registration dossiers submitted for the first REACH deadline. The Agency has now issued either draft or final decisions to companies concerning their testing proposal. This is an important step forward in the implementation of REACH – making sure that more information about chemicals is available in the future while avoiding unnecessary testing on animals.

ECHA has started publishing non-confidential versions of dossier evaluation decisions originating from the compliance checks and examination of testing proposals. These documents provide a unique insight into the Agency's decision-making process. Registrants and other stakeholders can now see how ECHA reaches its decisions, and better understand the rationale behind them.

ECHA's Eighth Stakeholders' Day provides plenary sessions ranging from registration to evaluation and authorisation and focuses specifically on giving key information for registrants ahead of the 2013 REACH registration deadline. Participants can also discuss one-to-one with ECHA experts about topical issues.

Directors from the Member State competent authorities came to ECHA on 8 November to discuss joint planning for 2013-16 and the Agency's strategic objectives.

The European Chemicals Agency has a unique opportunity to make information on chemical substances accessible to the public. This is done via the website, where users can for example, search for data related to the properties of a substance that has been registered under REACH, its classification and labelling and how to use the chemical safely.

The following Guidance documents have been published in October and November 2012.

Report on dossier evaluation according to articles 40 and 41 of REACH.

Many companies believe they are on the REACH home stretch: upon submitting the final dossiers for the second phase of REACH, they see themselves at the end of an exhausting marathon. Once the deadline for registration passes on 31 May 2013, they believe that the effort and resources expended on REACH can be reduced for the time being. But this belief is mistaken. REACH is not a marathon; it resembles an iron man contest - merely running 42 kilometres is not enough.

Nina Cromnier started as Chair of ECHA's Management Board in October 2012. Her goal is to support the Agency in achieving its strategic aims and fulfilling its vision and mission.

Article 33 of the REACH Regulation gives European consumers the right to ask whether consumer articles contain the most harmful substances, also known as substances of very high concern (SVHCs). According to research, both consumers and retailers aren't aware of this possibility. To change this, many organisations are working to make it easier for consumers to benefit from the possibility.

During the last year, many reports have been published on the implementation and impact of REACH at the request of the European Commission and in light of the upcoming REACH review.