Highlights from June Forum meeting

Helsinki, 21 June 2022 – The Enforcement Forum updated on its on-going enforcement projects, including preliminary results of an EU-wide project on REACH authorisation (REF-9). In that project, inspectors conducted more than 450 inspections to control REACH authorisation requirements for substances of very high concern from Annex XIV of REACH. Most of the controls were for downstream users, with many focusing on chromium trioxide and chromates. Results are currently being analysed and the report will be published at the end of 2022.

The Forum also discussed a pilot project on recovered substances. In this project, inspectors have controlled whether substances recovered from waste should be registered under REACH or whether they can benefit from an exemption. The report of this project – the first conducted in the substance recovery sector – will be published in autumn.

At the Biocides Product Regulation Subgroup (BPRS) meeting on 14 June, the subgroup discussed its progress including experiences from the ongoing enforcement project on checking the compliance of all types of biocidal products containing either approved or not yet approved active substances across the EU. Inspections in this project will continue in 30 participating countries until the end of 2022.

Background

The Enforcement Forum (including its subgroup BPRS) is a network of enforcement authorities from the EU and EEA. They are responsible for coordinating the enforcement of the REACH, CLP, PIC, POP and the Biocidal Product regulations with the aim of protecting our health and the environment while ensuring a level playing field for companies across the EU market.

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The committee met on 14-17 June 2022. The next meeting will take place in November 2022.

Listen to the highlights from the Forum meeting in June in our podcast in which Forum Chair Katja vom Hofe shares her reflections.