HORIZON INTERNATIONAL SOLUTIONS SITE

REACH-EN-FORCE-1, a joint REACH enforcement project, has started across Europe.

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals) is a European Union Regulation of 18 December 2006 that addresses the production and use of chemical substances, and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.

National inspectors are checking pre-registrations, registrations and – where applicable – the provisions for Safety Data Sheets. The Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement, meeting for the fourth time this week in Helsinki, reviewed the start of the project and agreed on the further steps.

The enforcement project of the Forum enforces the core principle of REACH: no data, no market. Inspectors in the participating countries will focus on the phase-in chemical substances (existing substances) and check through inspections whether companies have submitted a pre-registration or a registration and, where necessary, whether a Safety Data Sheet has been supplied.

The project will thus give a first impression of the level of compliance by manufacturers and importers (including only representatives) with REACH in the European Union and European Economic Area. At the same time, the capacity of the enforcement authorities to enforce REACH will be enhanced.

A designated national coordinator will oversee the implementation of the project in each participating country and provide training for local inspectors. For that purpose, the national coordinators were trained by the Forum Working Group at European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) premises earlier in April.

The results of the project will be collected by the end of 2009 and the Forum Working Group will analyse the results and produce a report in early 2010.

The Forum is also preparing a second coordinated project to be launched in 2010.

This is a press release from ECHA, Helsinki, 30 April 2009.