Tag Archives: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

ECHA’s New Website Is Good But Not Perfect

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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has finally updated its website for a more user-friendly, intuitive and let’s call it what it is: functional user experience.

The new site is easier to use, for sure.  The site still errs on the side of delivering editorials about REACH and related topics rather than providing the tools we need to execute tasks (it’s very European to want to talk more about it, while Americans want to get right to the action).

So if you’re looking for the Substance of Very High Concern (SVHC) candidate list — you’ll find a lot of pages talking about the list but you’ll pull your hair out trying to get to the list itself.  The list is here:  http://echa.europa.eu/web/guest/candidate-list-table

Tip: Google is a quicker way to find tables, tools and lists on the site rather than using the ECHA search box.  Search for “ECHA Candidate List” on both Google and ECHA — and you’ll agree.

12 new SVHCs  ECHA says committees have unanimously agreed to add 12 new chemicals of very high concern to that candidate list, so you’ll want to know where to find it.  Today, the list stands at 53 SVHCs today, also kept up to date at websites besides ECHA’s.

Overall, people will appreciate the improvements.  It’s getting better all the time, as the Beatles said.

REACH Database: Over 5000 Substances Registered

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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced Wednesday that ECHA’s Dissemination Database contains now 4413 records. In total, 5181 substances have been registered as of Nov. 3, 2011, says the agency.

There are now 3908 substances published on the list of registered publishable substances.

On ECHA’s dissemination portal, you can download information or search for substances; an excellent resource for folks looking more deeply into REACH compliance.

The next big REACH deadline is May, 2013, but ECHA is asking companies to start preparing now.

En route to the 2013 deadline, there are two key deadlines for 2012:

1. Late preregistration deadline prior to the 2013 registration deadline, for first time manufacturers and importers;

2. Downstream users should notify suppliers of uses by May 31, 2012 at the latest.