ECHA discusses substance applications, internet sales and improvements in SDSs, by Jairo Andrade Junior, C&J Consulting, Chemical Engineer, 2018-04-01

ECHA’s Enforcement Forum has agreed on a pilot project on the authorization of chromium VI compounds and other substances subject to authorization whose sunset dates will have passed. These authorizations will be decided at the November 2018 in Forum meeting.

The work is planned for 2019. Its precise timeline, which was agreed at the Forum meeting from March 2018, will be set by the end of 2018.

It is the Forum’s third pilot on authorization and will check whether the selected substances are placed on the market and/or used according to a valid authorization. Inspectors will also check downstream user notifications.

At its meeting, the Forum also discussed the results of its pilot project on CLP, which focused on the control of internet sales of chemicals. EU national enforcement authorities checked whether adverts for mixtures classified as hazardous, or as containing such substances, mentioned the hazards in accordance with the product label.

A total of 1,314 desktop inspections were conducted last year, and draft results show high levels of non-compliance. The final report is expected next month.

The Forum decided to extend the pilot project checking compliance of the notification and communication obligations of substances in articles in REACH. It is specifically targeting seven substances, or groups of substances, including flame retardants and phthalates.

The project was expected to run from October 2017 to June 2018 with a report slated for November 2018. Inspections will now continue until the end of the year and the report made available in mid-2019.

It was provided an update on a joint initiative between the Forum and its accredited stakeholder organizations (ASOs), trade bodies and NGOs, to improve the quality of safety data sheets (SDSs).

A Forum working group has started to plan activities and is looking at how to collect data on shortcomings in SDSs. Some member states and some ASOs will provide feedback to the working group on the deficiencies they identified. The working group will analyses the data that comes back and then the aim is to implement solutions amongst the Echa ASOs.

She expects that by September 2018 the data will be collected and then discussed at the Forum meeting in November 2018. In 2019 the real work will begin with industry raising awareness.

There are a number of ASOs involved in the project including:

?          CEFIC;

?          European Association of Chemical Distributors (FECC);

?          the European Automotive Industry Association (ACEA);

?          the European Consensus-Platform for Alternatives (ECOPA);

?          Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Europe (ASD);

?          the Only Representative Organization (ORO);

?          the European Engineering Industries Association (ORGALIME);

?          European Crop Protection Association (ECPA); and

?          Fertilizers Europe.

The next Forum meeting is due to take place on June 2018.