ECHA

Our work programme for this year is built around the theme of building for the future. The first years for ECHA have focused getting everything ready so that companies could meet the legal milestones, like the REACH registration deadlines in 2010 and 2013, the CLP deadline in 2011 and the entry into operation of the biocides regulation.

ECHA checked 5% of the dossiers received for the 2010 registration deadline. That amounts to 1 130 compliance checks on registration dossiers.

One of the aims of the REACH Regulation is to encourage innovation. To help achieve this aim and to encourage innovating companies, chemicals intended for 'product and process orientated research and development (PPORD)' can be exempted from the obligation to register for five years.

Board games, colouring books, stories and cards – all to teach children about hazard symbols and chemical safety in general. A programme developed by local chemical safety inspectors in Hungary has become extremely successful, involving 3 500 children, their parents and 200 teachers over recent years.

Do you want to market your biocidal product in all EU countries or in a number of them? The Biocidal Products Regulation introduces a new concept of Union authorisation. Once the Union authorisation has been granted for a biocidal product, the authorisation applies to the entire Union market. You can apply for Union authorisation both for a single biocidal product or a product family with similar conditions of use across the EU.

The Environmental Working Group of the Biocidal Products Committee was the first of the Working Groups to kick off its meetings at the end of January. There are altogether four permanent and two Ad hoc Working Groups to support the Biocidal Products Committee.

Video interview: ECHA has been actively preparing to take over the operational tasks of the new Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation since the beginning of 2013. On 1 March 2014, when the new law becomes operational, the Agency will take over from the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. But what exactly is ECHA's role under PIC? ECHA Newsletter spoke with Kevin Pollard, Head of Unit for Dossier Submission and PIC, to find out.

Our guest writers from the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) and the Downstream Users of Chemicals Coordination Group (DUCC) are returning to the topic of generating safe use information for mixtures featured in the October 2013 Newsletter. The two associations have identified approaches and methods used or being developed by companies and industry sectors for safe use communication for mixtures. They report here on their findings and on the next steps.

ECHA has now made a positive recommendation to the European Commission on the first authorisation application from Rolls-Royce plc. on the use of the phthalate DEHP to manufacture aircraft engine fan blades. The Agency has already started work on the next seven applications for 16 uses of the phthalates DEHP and DBP. The public consultation for alternatives to those uses ended on 8 January 2014 with more than 120 comments from third parties.

On its website, ECHA has published over 98% of the information on chemicals submitted to it through REACH registrations, CLP notifications or biocides applications. The next step is to improve the user-friendliness and accessibility of this information. The aim is to have a new interface that also serves the needs of the general public ready in 2015.

During 2013, the focus of chemicals safety actors shifted to the concerns and needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This shift of attention was partly triggered by the upcoming third REACH registration deadline in 2018. But, it also reflects the common realisation that the success of REACH and other pieces of EU chemicals safety legislation in the coming years depends on the compliance of smaller actors and duty holders.

ECHA hosts its ninth annual Stakeholders' Day conference on 21 May 2014 in Helsinki.

Assessment factors play an important role in assessing the health hazards of a chemical substance. They are essential in bridging the gap between toxicological information, usually generated through studies with experimental animals, and the human situation.

ECHA has appointed Watze de Wolf as new Chairperson for the Member State Committee. As of 1 March 2014, he will replace Anna-Liisa Sundquist, who is retiring.

As a member of the Network of EU Agencies, ECHA is closely cooperating with other decentralised agencies in order to avoid duplication of work and to realise efficiencies and economies of scale.

REACH, CLP, GHS and much more - retiring from ECHA Anna-Liisa Sundquist recounts her remarkable career in the public service.

What should small or medium-sized companies be focusing on between now and the last REACH registration deadline? This and other similar questions are gaining momentum in our daily business life and are becoming more important for those SMEs who still have to get to grips with the REACH Regulation.

Expansion in Europe is the key objective for every full-blooded entrepreneur. However, the biggest obstacle to growth, in fact, the greatest threat to the existence of our medium-sized company, are the extremely onerous and restrictive EU regulations, such as REACH, the Biocidal Products Directive/Regulation, the amendment of the Detergent Regulation, the CLP Regulation and the Cosmetics Regulation. For professional cleaners on the other hand, these regulations are a change for the better as well as an improvement for sustainability and environmental protection.