REACH 2018: Far Fewer Registrations Than Expected

Almost six months before the registration deadline for substances in quantity bands greater than one ton in May 2018, the number of registration dossiers submitted to the ECHA continues to rise. But only about 12,500 registrations have been submitted so far. Of that number, approximately 6,000 are part of that band, and only 3,600 of the 6,000 compounds are new registered substances. However, the ECHA originally expected about 25,000 registrations instead of the 6,000 it has received. The numbers fell far short of estimates, admits Christel Musset, director of registration, in the November issue of the ECHA Newsletter. But the numbers are still not a worry for the industry association.

Some 95% of small and midsize companies are aware of the urgency of registration. A lack of awareness is not the problem, emphasized outgoing ECHA director Geert Dancet in an interview with Chemical Watch in November. It’s much more a matter of the high costs that cause many firms to delay. Dancet’s statement aligns with the results of a study sponsored by the ECHA and undertaken by a British consultancy, Risk & Policy Analysts (RPA). See also our recent article, REACH 2018: ECHA Seeks Financial Relief for Smaller Companies. Along with the authors of the study, Dancet urges companies to provide the required funds and expressly warns of market shortages. Such a problem would arise if companies abandon the market or throttle back production.

That’s why in its meeting on November 27, the Directors‘ Contact Group (DCG) appealed to the companies involved to communicate clearly to their customers their registration intentions and the applications that the registrations cover. The members of the DCG also agreed to publish information on possible financial support from the EU. See the DCG press release of the ECHA for further information and links.

If your company is affected by these issues, please contact us at any time at reach@kft.de.

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