On the first REACH registration deadline of 30 November 2010, 24,675 registration dossiers had been successfully submitted for 4,300 substances including nearly 3,400 phase-in substances. The final number of registrations and substances, including a breakdown of “phase-in” and “non phase-in” will shortly be available, when all submitted dossiers have been processed.
REACH aims to improve the protection of human health and the environment as well as the competitiveness of industry through the safe use of chemicals. This registration deadline is an important step towards its goal.
Geert Dancet, Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), said, “This is a momentous day, something that many people inside and outside Europe have been working towards since the REACH Regulation was published at the end of 2006. I congratulate companies for rising to the challenge to comply with REACH, colleagues in the Member States and the European Commission for their support to companies, and to my Agency and my own staff who have performed magnificently in enabling this to happen.”
Thomas Jakl, Chair of the ECHA Management Board, said, “Today’s deadline is an important milestone within the reshaping of the EU’s chemicals policy. A process launched in 1998 when the first political discussions were held and which culminates today where we see absolute commitment from all stakeholders and ECHA as a strong and competent European Agency”.
Approximately 86 percent of registrations were made by large companies and 14 percent by small or medium-sized companies. Companies representing non-EU manufacturers made 19 percent of registrations, which demonstrates the ability of non-European companies to take part in the Substance Identity Exchange Fora (SIEF). Most of the registrations came from companies based in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, France and Belgium.
More statistics are available on the ECHA’s website http://echa.europa.eu/home_en.asp.
