News

Updated Brexit advice to companies

ECHA has adapted its advice for companies on the UK's withdrawal from the EU to take into account the transition period ending 31 December 2020.

Companies should check if they are affected by the withdrawal, and

UK-based registrations and authorisations should be transferred to an EU Member State before the end of the transition period.

Until then, EU laws including regulations managed by ECHA, still apply to the UK. Downstream users in the EU/EEA should check the list of substances registered only by UK companies on ECHA’s website to see if they will be affected and need to take action before the end of the transition period.

Withdrawal of the UK from the EU | Questions and answers for companies | List of substances registered only by UK companies

REACH

REACH study results updated

We have updated the downloadable set of non-confidential REACH registration data. The dataset contains key information on around 23 000 chemicals that researchers, regulatory authorities and businesses can use to improve the safe use of chemicals, enable innovation and help avoid unnecessary testing of chemicals on animals.

IUCLID news | Read more about IUCLID in ECHA Newsletter

IUCLID release webinar

12 May 2020, 10:00 – 11:00 Helsinki time

Watch our pre-recorded webinar on the scope of the latest version of IUCLID. This version finalises the management of IUCLID inventories together with literature references, contacts and categories. Our webinar presents the new navigation tree for dossiers, advanced search for mixtures, substance and article datasets as well as the bulk copying of documents.

The webinar will be published on our home page on the day of the event at 10:00 Helsinki Time (EEST, GMT +3) together with a live Q&A session through Slido where we will be answering your questions until 17:00 Helsinki time. Instructions for joining the Q&A will be available on our home page.

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Authorisations granted for use of pentazinc chromate octahydroxide

The European Commission has granted authorisations for pentazinc chromate octahydroxide (EC 256-418-0, CAS 49663-84-5) for two uses to Boeing Distribution, Inc. and Finalin GmbH, with a review period expiry date on 22 January 2026.

Summary in Official Journal

Consultation on proposed restriction of PFHxA, its salts and related substances - an update

The consultation page for the restriction proposal of undecafluorohexanoic acid PFHxA, its salts and related substances has been updated. Two questions have been clarified and the non-exhaustive list of substances covered by the scope of the restriction has been expanded. Further details are available in the updated information note and the indicative list of substances.

Watch our online info session on 23 April at 11:00 (EEST, GMT +3) for an update on the proposed restriction, its scope and how to prepare and submit comments in the on-going consultation.

The session will be made available on the ECHA home page on the day of the event. No registration is required.

Send us your questions for the session until 29 April. All questions will be compiled to a Q&A document and published shortly after the event.

More | Submitted restrictions under consideration

Podcast: How is the EU making sure PFAS chemicals don’t stick around?

Interview with Bjorn Hansen, ECHA's Executive Director about poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – manufactured chemicals widely used since the 1940s to produce many different consumer goods.

Tests show that some of them can cause serious health effects such as cancer and liver damage. The good news is that the EU is taking action to reduce their use. Where exactly are they used, what are the concerns and what is the EU doing about them?

Listen to the full podcast | Hot topics | Subscribe to our videos

CLP

New intention to harmonise classification and labelling

A new proposal to harmonise classification and labelling has been submitted for the reaction product of poly(oxy(methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)), αhydro-ω-((chlorocarbonyl)oxy)-, ether with 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol with potassium 1,1-dimethylethylperoxalate (EC 445-060-2, CAS 203574-04-3).

Registry of CLH intentions until outcome

Waste

Introducing the SCIP database prototype: webinar Q&A

We held a webinar on 17 March 2020 introducing you to the prototype of the SCIP database. The Q&A from the webinar is now available together with the presentations and recording.

The webinar described the state of play of the SCIP database, following the launch of its prototype in February. It also included a demo of how to create and submit a SCIP notification.

SCIP is a database for information on substances of concern in articles as such or in complex objects (products) established under the Waste Framework Directive.

More | SCIP database

Nanomaterials

Carbon nanotubes – first nanomaterial of high concern on Chemsec's SIN List

Read our latest guest column by Dr Anna Lennquist from the International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) who explains why carbon nanotubes were added to ChemSec’s “Substitute It Now (SIN List)”.

Guest columns are regularly published on the EU Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) from a variety of authors in its “nanopinion”, a platform for exchanging views on nanomaterials and nanotechnology. If you have a topic you would like to write about, contact us.

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ECHA news

ECHA's Annual Report 2019 now available

In 2019, ECHA reorganised to offer more support to companies and clarify substances on concern - read the full story in our Annual Report.

Read the report

Committees

RAC to discuss harmonised classification and labelling in May

The Committee for Risk Assessment will hold a virtual meeting on 4 May 2020 to go through three proposals for harmonised classification and labelling (CLH) that were not covered in its March meeting, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The agenda of the meeting in available online.

The remaining CLH proposals from the March meeting will be discussed in an additional virtual meeting in the autumn. This allows work on the dossiers for the June and September plenaries to continue uninterrupted.

The next full RAC meeting will be held virtually from 1 to 12 June. The agenda of that meeting is also available.

RAC agendas

Events

Safer Chemicals Conference – programme available

Join us online to hear EU’s priorities on chemicals and to get advice on how your company can contribute to protecting the health and the environment of EU citizens. Watch the event and send us your questions. No need to register. Looking forward to connecting with you online! #SaferChemicals

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