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 athttp://ecb.jrc.it/REACH.