Prepare for Reach, CIA urges British chemical companies

27 May 2004 15:52  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (CNI)--Britain’s Chemical Industries Association (CIA) on Thursday urged chemical producers and importers to prepare for implementation of the European Union’s new chemicals policy which it currently expects to become law in 2006.

 

Companies will have to assess their vulnerability to Reach (registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals), the CIA said, but are advised above all to start to talk to customers now. Chemical suppliers are asked to communicate the CIA’s Reach position and its implications including the assertion that Reach will affect the whole manufacturing supply chain.

 

Reach as currently drafted “would seriously damage the EU’s attractiveness as a location for the chemical industry and all its customer industries in the manufacturing supply chain,” the CIA said in its fifth EU chemicals policy newsletter. The association estimated that 20% of the chemical industry will carry more than 80% of the cost of testing and administration.

 

It argued that small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the specialty, fine and performance sectors will be the most affected and that 20% to 40% of substances produced in quantities in the one to 100 tonne a year range are commercially jeopardised.

 

Judith Hackitt

The industry has maintained that it is not opposed to Reach but, according to CIA director general, Judith Hackitt, remains concerned “that the fundamental issue of workability has still not been addressed”. Hackitt insisted that “more work is needed and an extended business impact assessment must be carried out”.

 

The CIA does not expect the delayed first reading of Reach in the European Parliament before the second quarter of 2005 and implementation of the regulation until 2006.

 

Among the improvements it seeks are a risk-based prioritisation mechanism, strong powers and decision-making responsibility for the proposed chemicals central agency and an “improved and comprehensive regulatory impact assessment of costs and benefits throughout the supply chain".

 

It has advised UK chemical producers and importers now to carry out a raw material inventory and catalogue the uses of the chemicals in their systems. It suggests that companies collate hazard and exposure data, determine whether a chemical is likely to require authorisation and identify vulnerable situations.

 

The association said it supports the principle of consortium formation proposed by the UK government to the EU’s competitiveness council, particularly to minimise animal testing. However, it advocates flexibility “which allows companies to exercise choice in how they participate in order to ensure compliance with competition laws”.

 

Flexibility, it added “would also avoid the risk of lengthy delays caused by the process of complex consortia formation and debates over the disclosure of commercially sensitive information between companies.”

By: Nigel Davis
+44 20 8652 3214

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