Azelis pre-registers 100,000 chems for Reach

25 September 2008 13:59  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS news)--Distributor Azelis said on Thursday that it was one of two companies to have pre-registered all 100,000 chemicals listed in the EU inventory with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in preparation for the implementation of Reach.

The ECHA reacted sharply last week to more extensive than expected pre-registrations by limiting substance pre-registration to 10,000 without prior agreement.

UK distributors’ trade group the Chemical Business Association (CBA) revealed that one German and another UK company had each pre-registered the entire EU chemicals inventory.

The internet based pre-registration process is free and was on Wednesday said to be showing signs of strain.

Pre-registration is designed ultimately to help develop data sharing among producers and others on the EU’s chemicals markets prior to full registration under Reach, the EU's registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals scheme.

Defending its actions, European distributor Azelis said the move was intended as a safeguard against the possibility of unwittingly selling unregistered products once Reach comes into full force, thereby breaking the law.

It currently sells more than 40,000 products and has the ability to supply a further 30,000, it added in a statement.

“Relying on every manufacturer or supplier to pre-register every substance in every product supplied, potentially leaves Azelis vulnerable in terms of compliance with the legislative requirements of Reach,” the statement said.  

Azelis said that as it adds 2,000-3,000 new products to its portfolio each year, it took the view that “belt and braces pre-registration of all substances in the EINECS inventory was the pragmatic approach that would avoid any possibility of operating outside the law.”

EINECS is the European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances.

The ECHA accused companies that had pre-registered the entire inventory of acting against the aims of pre-registration.

Data sharing would become “unmanageable” for the companies concerned and downstream users would also be affected, it said.

Azelis said its intention was not to “sabotage” the Reach legislation and added that it was “disappointed” that a request to meet the ECHA had been refused.  

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By: Will Beacham
+44 20 8652 3214

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