Legal entity change now functional – policy on asset sales clarified

ECHA/NA/10/17
News alert
Media enquiries: ECHA Press

Changes in legal personality can now be reported to ECHA thanks to the new REACH-IT version and the new Practical Guide published today. ECHA has reversed its policy on asset sales, and such transfers may be treated as a change of legal personality.

Helsinki, 16 April 2010 – Companies undergoing split or merger can now transfer their (pre)registrations from one legal entity to another in REACH-IT. (Pre)registrations can also be transferred from one legal entity to another following an asset transfer as long as the company provides evidence of the transfer.

Changes of Only Representative can be updated in the same way.

Registrants should use the new version REACH-IT to communicate to ECHA any update of their legal entity even if the information has already been provided informally to ECHA prior to the new release of REACH-IT.

Further details can be found in the Practical Guide and the REACH-IT Industry User Manual Part 17 - Legal Entity Change. Both are on ECHA's website.

For further advice on this issue, please contact your National Helpdesk.

The Practical Guide replaces the REACH-IT Fact Sheet of 17 April 2009 which outlined the duties of companies that change their name or legal personality.