Brussels, 18/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - On a number of occasions the European Commission has announced the possibility of simplifying certain rules on chemical risk prevention (REACH regulation). It began a public consultation in this connection on the subject of so-called substances of “very high concern” used in very small volumes by industry or in legacy spare parts.
The public consultation began at the beginning of February and involves 31 substances of very high concern (SVHC). Since 2014, the different industrial sectors have been obliged to request authorisation so that they can continue to use them, if there is no substance substitute. The Commission notes that authorisation request procedures are expensive for the operators and can also cause problems to the industries that still need to use them in low quantities or in legacy spare parts (even though they are expected to be phased out). The Commission also underlined that in this sort of case, the risks are limited and it is technically or economically difficult to develop substitutes for SVHC. Based on this observation, the European Commission is prepared to envisage developing rationalised and simplified authorisation procedures. The European Commission is therefore calling on the operators and authorities to share their views on this subject up to 30 April 2015. Simplifying authorisation procedures for chemical substances, such as those established in the REACH regulation, is also part of the REFIT initiative for simpler legislation, proposed in June 2014.
ChemSec, the International Secretariat for Chemical Substances, has noted that a lot of companies have invested massively in alternatives to SVHC. This NGO has warned that new measures should help promote these pioneering companies and not put them at a disadvantage by authorising rival industries to continue to act as if nothing has happened. (Marie-Pauline Desset)