WASHINGTON - The European Commission has proposed that companies pay a fee to have their chemicals registered as will be required under the anticipated REACH legislation, according to Robert Donkers, environment counselor for the delegation of the European Commission in the United States. The Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) legislation is making its way through the European Parliament.

According to a report by the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), Donkers briefed participants at a recent conference on REACH and the actions chemical companies should be taking to prepare to comply with the legislation’s requirements. Under the current REACH proposal, all chemicals made in or imported into the European Union in volumes of one metric ton or more annually would have to be registered.

U.S. chemical companies are urged to begin preparing for REACH even though the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers will still debate the legislation.

Companies that will export chemicals into the EU are urged to become familiar with the REACH Implementation Projects, or RIPs. Companies are also urged to develop inventories of substances they export to the EU and work with their European clients to obtain information needed for the registration package and to develop exposure scenarios, the report said.

More information on REACH Implementation Projects is available at http://ecb.jrc.it/REACH.