SORIS » Regulatory

EC Review of REACH

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:15:07 +0000

The European Commission is carrying out its own review of the REACH Regulations. and their impact on innovation.

Contributed comments are invited at www.cses.co.uk/reach_innovation_survey/

REACHReady 2013 SIEF survey

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:36:46 +0000

Experience from 2010 registrants showed that you cannot start preparing for a registration deadline early enough and 2013 is no exception. However, the only public mechanism for assessing the collective progress being made towards the next deadline is when a Lead Registrant has been nominated and when a substance has been successfully registered. As there are quite a few other key stages on the path to a successful registration, REACHReady is keen to find out what the spread of activity looks like in SIEFs where the deadline for the earliest registration is 30 May 2013.

REACHReady would like anyone who is involved in a SIEF working towards a 2013 registration deadline to complete a short questionnaire. REACHReady will analyse the responses and report on the results early in 2012. The survey will close in mid December.

REACHReady will use the results of the survey to assess progress being made, to find out if the same sticking points that were identified in the 2009 and 2010 SIEF surveys have materialised again and to see what more REACHReady can do to help.

Find the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XZ6ZGBT

ECHA Report on REACH and CLP

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:02:19 +0000

In June 2011 ECHA published its report on the operation of REACH and CLP. It contains a number of lessons and recommendations, notably that:

severe non-compliance should be punished, 58% of companies identified themselves as SMEs (in a 2010 study), incomplete and incorrect dossiers are very common, unnecessary animal testing is not being commissioned, SIEFs are not working properly so some companies are (wrongly) submitting independent dossiers, different companies decide upon different CLP classifications for the same molecule.

The original report can be found at http://echa.europa.eu/doc/117reports/operation_reach_clp_2011_en.pdf

4625 Engineering and Regulatory Help

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:08:25 +0000

A new speciality chemical company (run by an individual well-known and respected in the sector) produces small drug mimics which carry chemical labels to the site of action. The company has a manufacturing process -practical but not perfect – and seeks professional chemical engineering advice in order to obtain FDA approval.

REACH Delivery

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:12:20 +0000

In future Safety Data Sheets must be “provided” – not merely “made available”. A UK company offers a service to make MSDS available to your customers. Under certain conditions there is a free service for low volume MSDS. Fuller details at www.reachdelivery.com

Responsible Care Toolkit for SMEs

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:10:24 +0000

CEFIC has made its Responsible Care Toolkit for SMEs available on its website at www.cefic.org/RC-Tools-SMEs Elements include integrate SHE management, security, occupational health and safety, plant and process safety, transport and logistics, environment, energy efficiency, chemicals regulation and product stewardship.

ECHA to publish names of registrants

Thu, 12 May 2011 10:53:43 +0000

ECHA has announced it will publish more information from registration dossiers. Following a legal interpretation by the European Commission Services and advice from its Management Board, ECHA will disseminate certain information that is contained in the safety data sheet – which includes the name of the registrant and the registration number.

Registrants of hazardous substances can claim confidentiality to protect their commercial interests, provided they give a valid justification and pay the corresponding fee. To do so, they will need to update their IUCLID registration dossier and submit it to ECHA through REACH-IT; ECHA will then assess the confidentiality claim. Note that for non-hazardous substances the names of registrants will only be published on a voluntary basis.

More detailed information from ECHA on this extension to the dissemination process, the timing involved and on how to claim confidentiality is not yet available.

IS YOUR COMPANY AFFECTED BY ECHA’S REACH GUIDANCE ON INTERMEDIATES?

Tue, 10 May 2011 08:22:08 +0000

CIA is trying to establish how many companies manufacture or use substances registered (or to be registered) as intermediates and whether the changes introduced by the ECHA guidance of December 2010 are affecting them. It is conducting a short survey (at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W9MXFG9). For further information about the changes please contact Silvia at SegnaS@cia.org.uk

New Grant for R&D

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:23:55 +0000

The Technology Strategy Board recently launched a new Grant for Research and Development programme designed specifically for individual small to medium enterprises.

Three types of grant are available – for proof of market projects, proof of concept and development of prototype. Depending on the type of grant, funding levels range from £25,000 to £250,000.

The Technology Strategy Board’s Grant for R&D scheme is a successor to the programme which was previously available from many of the Regional Development Agencies.

However Grant for R&D is not simply a continuation of the RDA schemes; some of the arrangements and criteria are different. Businesses wishing to apply will need to study the guidance for applicants carefully and note that applications will have to be tailored specifically to the new scheme.

Grant for R&D is open now; for full information including eligibility and how to apply, please see http://www.innovateuk.org/deliveringinnovation/grant-for-research-and-development.ashx

China market access consultation

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 11:16:53 +0000

An opportunity to provide input into high level UK-China trade policy discussions.

UK Trade & Investment in collaboration with HM Treasury, China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), CBI and other organisations, is running a market access business consultation in preparation for the Joint Economic Trade Commission (JETC) and Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) in 2011 (NB. no specific dates have been agreed as yet).

You are invited to submit any concerns you have on market access issues with China, both new and ongoing. Further information and background can be found in the official invitation (www.cbbc.org/emails/cbbc_notice/2011_04-05_invitation_letter_to_businesses) for the business consultation and a background paper (www.cbbc.org/emails/cbbc_notice/2011_04-05_background_paper_for_businesses) from UKTI. If you wish to provide input, please submit your response to china.event@ukti.gsi.gov.uk.