Source: SPECIALIST PRINTING WORLDWIDE : ISSUE 1: 2011
Elaine Campling outlines the ramifications of CLP regulation and China’s new chemical registration scheme as further regimes emerge in Taiwan and elsewhere across the globe.
The first REACH (Europe’s Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals Regulation) deadline to register high hazard and high volume chemicals (1,000 tonnes or more per annum) has now expired. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) report that 24,675 registrations were successfully submitted for 4,300 substances, including 3,400 phase-in substances. In basic terms, a phase-in substance is a substance which was already being manufactured or placed on the market before entry into force of the REACH Regulation on 1st June 2007
and was not notified according to Directive 67/548/EEC1. These substances qualify for phased registration deadlines, which with passing of the November 2010 deadline is now volume dependent.
Organisations intending to register the same phase-in substance are required to join what is termed, a Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF), sharing information and data to avoid unnecessary animal testing and work towards consensus on classification and labelling of the substance. One of the SIEF registrants is a Lead registrant and submits the bulk of the required information at the appropriate time (relative to their tonnage band, or earlier if they choose). The remaining SIEF members submit their own supporting dossiers, which may also be submitted relative to their own tonnage bands, if different from the Lead registrant..