MORGES, Switzerland - Rohm and Haas, Philadelphia, PA, is preparing for the next steps after successfully achieving the first critical milestone set by the European Union’s REACH regulation.

 

Following a “no data, no market” principle, all enterprises that manufacture or import more than one tonne of a given chemical substance per year in the EU are required to register the chemical in a central database. Authorization will be required for the use of the most hazardous substances.

 

“We are actively complying with REACH requirements,” said Gray Wirth, Rohm and Haas President Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA) Region.

 

On Dec. 1, 2008, the company completed the preregistration phase of all substances that it manufactures in, or imports itself into, the EU.

 

Thousands of chemicals within the European market will be affected by the REACH implementation; Rohm and Haas proactively anticipated this and so, consistent with its sustainability objectives, it is in the process of designing concern substances out of its products when it is technically and economically viable. These principles have been applied to the entire portfolio of products sold to the paint and coatings industries in the EMEA region and further demonstrate the commitment the company has to its customers, the industry, the environment and society.