Brussels, 01/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - The new European chemicals legislation, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restrictions of Chemicals), entered into force on Friday 1 June. At the same time, the new European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of requirements arising from REACH, started operations in Helsinki. ECHA has a website providing key information such as guidance documents, helpdesks and others tools relating to REACH. The Commission acknowledges that the agency will have to work hard to become fully operational on 1 June 2008, when companies begin on-line submission of pre-registrations and registration dossiers. The agency's interim executive director is Mr Geert Dancet, who has been seconded by the Commission to head the team of 40 officials - also seconded by the Commission - to get the agency started over the next 18 months.
REACH requires the registration over a period of 11 years of some 30,000 chemical substances in use today, which will be coordinated by ECHA. This process will allow information gaps on their hazards to be filled and appropriate risk management measures to be identified to ensure their safe use. The onus will be on industry to generate the data required and to identify the measures needed to manage the risks. The agency will also run the evaluation of those chemical substances that are suspected of posing a risk to health or the environment and the authorisation system for the use of substances of very high concern, foreseen by REACH. The REACH authorisation system will strongly encourage companies to switch to safer alternatives. All applications for an authorisation will need to include an analysis of alternatives and a substitution plan where a suitable alternative exists. REACH will also enable more rapid total or partial bans where unacceptable risks are detected.
One of the agency's first tasks is to make sufficient information available to companies - especially small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) - on how to comply with the new requirements. For this purpose, the Agency is launching a multilingual website at http: //echa.europa.eu. The website serves as a single access point for general information on chemicals, guidance documents and other tools on how to comply with the REACH legislation. From 1 June 2008, it will also provide an interface for on-line registration of substances. Companies will also have access to a helpdesk through the site. The Agency helpdesk is connected to a network of national REACH helpdesks, many of which are already operational and actively disseminating information on the new regulation through workshops, brochures and websites. (ol)