Welcome to this months newsletter from The REACH Centre.

It is now nearly two months since the pre-registration period ended, but as we enter 2009 there are new and more complex areas of REACH to focus on.

During the coming months, there is going to be a lot of work to deal with. SIEFs are now being formed, and consortia agreements are being made. This is a demanding workload, and the first registration deadline is less than two years away.

The REACH Centre can advise you on how best to work within your SIEF. To find out more, visit our website. If you need advice on how to change your Only Representative, scroll down to the Focus section.

The substance list for Authorisation has been published for public consultation by the ECHA.

The published list includes seven substances that have been prioritised for authorisation. These substances are:

• 5-tert-butyl-2,4,6-trinitro-m-xylene (musk xylene)
• Alkanes,C10-13,chloro (short chain chlorinated paraffins; SCCPs)
• Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) and all major diastereoisomers identified
• 4,4’-Diamino diphenyl methane (MDA)
• Bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP)
• Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) and
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

ECHA proposes that applications for authorisations should be submitted between 24 and 30 months after the substances have been included in Annex XIV of REACH; and that these substances could not be used 42 to 48 months after the inclusion date.

The remaining eight substances are still candidate list substances and will probably be transferred to the authorisation list (annex XIV) at a later date.

More information on the authorisation process can be found on the ECHA website by clicking here where you can view the proposals in detail, and submit comments.

A new piece of EU wide legislation, setting guidelines for the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) of susbtances and mixtures entered into force on 20th January. The regulation brings EU regulations in line with the United Nation's Globally Harmonised System for the classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS). The intention is to ensure that the same hazards will be described and labelled in the same way globally.

The new legislation is intended to complement REACH. The EU will be one of the first areas to implement the GHS system. Companies will have until 1st December 2010 to classify substances according to the new rules; the deadline for classifying mixtures is 1st June 2015.

For more information on the GHS/CLP legislation, please visit the EU website on the matter.

REACH news in brief

• IUCLID 5.1 now available
  • An upgrade (5.1) is now available for the standalone and the distributed versions of IUCLID 5. The upgrade can be downloaded free of charge from the ‘Get IUCLID 5’ section of the IUCLID 5 website. The upgraded IUCLID5 is Windows Vista certified. Various bugs have also been fixed.
• REACH-IT update - Performance will be improved
  • ECHA have admitted recent performance problems with the REACH-IT system. In a press release, ECHA says they are working on solutions to the problems, which have been caused by large numbers of users logged in and performing system intensive operations. Companies are asked to "be patient".

Why should you change your Only Representative?

• Is your existing OR advising you on the best course of action in the SIEF?
• Has your OR identified potential consortia?
• Is your OR communicating effectively with your supply chain?
• Has your OR made clear the cost of their services?
• Are you confident that your OR has the necessary technical capabilities to complete the registration process?

If the answer to any of the above questions is 'no', The REACH Centre can help. The process of changing your Only Representative can be relatively straight forward. Get in touch today to discuss appointing us as your Only Representative.

Working as your Only Representative, our team of REACH experts can advise you on the best strategy of working in the SIEFs that will be formed over the coming months.

Contact The REACH Centre today to discuss how we could act as the Only Representative for your organisation. Visit the Only Representative page on our website.

The REACH Centre and Hammonds LLP are to speak at a REACH conference in held in Japan this February. The conference will be hosted by JEMAI, the Japanese Environmental Management Association for Industry.

The speakers will include Andrew Fasey from The REACH Centre, who will be speaking about SIEFs and SVHCs, and Nicola Clark from Hammonds LLP, who will be discussing REACH and competition law. The conferences will be held on 26th February in Tokyo and 27th February in Osaka.

More information :: 26th February, Tokyo [PDF] :: 27th February, Osaka [PDF]

Please note all information is in Japanese

Training and education surrounding REACH legislation is vitally important to ensure organisations get it right with minimal expense and upheaval. We offer a wide selection of training solutions ranging from REACH workshops through to bespoke programmes.

REACH Management for Chemical Users

Date - Wednesday 11th February 2009
Venue - Lancaster University Campus
Cost - £250 + VAT per person

Much of the focus of REACH awareness training has been on the obligations of manufacturers and importers of chemicals into the EU. However, all organisations which use chemicals have specific compliance responsibilities which need to be understood and managed. This course provides an opportunity to understand these obligations and then act on them.

Read more [PDF] :: Booking form

REACH Registration and Management

Date - Wednesday 25th February 2009
Venue - Lancaster University Campus
Cost - £295 + VAT per person

This workshop provides delegates with a comprehensive overview to help you manage REACH in your business. The aim of this course is to provide Managers from businesses affected by REACH with an appreciation of the issues relating to compliance under the legislation. In particular delegates will understand the mechanism and time-scales associated with registration and the data and resources needed to complete a registration. Delivered by an expert REACH practitioner, the day focuses on registration whilst taking a close look at SIEFs and including a practical demonstration of REACH-IT and IUCLID5.

Read more [PDF] :: Booking form

Working effectively in SIEFs and Consortia

Date - Thursday 5th March 2009
Venue - Lancaster University Campus
Cost - £375 + VAT per person

This workshop provides a balanced overview of the legal responsibilities and the practical business issues involved when working in SIEFs and Consortia.

Read more [PDF] :: Booking form

More dates will be announced soon. You can find the latest courses listed on the training page on our website.

Bespoke training

If you cannot travel to our training events, we can travel to you. We offer bespoke training packages and REACH consultancy for companies, and we also offer online REACH training. Find out more at www.thereachcentre.com

The REACH Centre also provides IUCLID5 training tailored to your needs. For more information, please contact Matteo Dalla Valle.

Don’t forget The REACH Centre offers a wide range of REACH services. To find out more, visit our website.