Pre-registration for REACH begins | Umweltbundesamt

The EU Chemicals Ordinance REACH goes into the next round as pre-registration begins. REACH requires registration of all chemicals that are on the market in the EU. Manufacturers and importers of chemicals must register products with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and assess the risk they pose to mankind and the environment.  Pre-registration is a sort of taking of stock that provides public authorities and businesses with an overview of which substances are currently on the market in Europe. It is a non-binding demonstration of interest on the part of businesses as to which chemicals they want to continue to sell and must therefore register within the next 10 years. ”Interim regulations apply upon registration when substances have been pre-registered. I advise small businesses in particular to take advantage of this”, said Dr. Klaus Günter Steinhäuser, Director of Chemical Safety at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). Pre-registration will make it easier for responsible businesses to meet their REACH obligations and gives them more time until final registration. ”Anyone who fails to pre-register must register immediately. The substances will then be classed as new, regardless of how long they have already been manufactured”, explained Steinhäuser. In one of its new background papers, the UBA advises chemicals manufacturers and importers to decide on the future composition of their product portfolio and to pre-register with ECHA by December of this year. read more