ECHA targets substance identity – letters sent to companies with shortcomings in their registrations

As communicated in December 2013, the Agency has conducted its first IT-based screening on required information elements for the substance identity of all REACH registrations. This week, 449 registrants whose dossiers were picked up by the screening have received a letter from ECHA. In total, 1 350 letters concerning 309 substances have been sent. Registrants are invited to check their REACH-IT mailbox.

These letters list some of the inconsistencies found in each dossier and include instructions on how to address them. Registrants should update their dossiers within three months from the date set in the letter. The aim of these letters is to help industry to proactively improve the quality of their dossiers before ECHA initiates follow up actions, such as compliance check.

ECHA recommends that companies take advantage of the support available, including the Dossier Quality Assistant tool, the technical annex to the letter, and consult the recently launched web section on 'How to improve your dossier'. A webinar on improving substance identity information will be organised on 30 April. This webinar will be by invitation only for those registrants that have received letters. However, the presentations and recording will be made publicly available.

News alert | How to improve your dossier | Technical annex

REACH-IT and R4BP 3 closed for maintenance

The REACH dossier submission tool REACH-IT and the biocides submission tool R4BP 3 will be closed from Friday 11 April at 21:00 (GMT + 3:00) to Wednesday 16 April at 10:00 in order to upgrade the tools. The new versions of both tools will be published on 16 April.

This update of REACH-IT will bring significant changes to all users - especially on how they receive decisions and other communications from ECHA. A factsheet is available to explain more.

REACH-IT Factsheet | REACH-IT | R4BP 3

Updated Guidance for downstream users translated into 22 EU languages now available on the ECHA website

ECHA has published translations into 22 EU languages of the updated Guidance for downstream users.

The Guidance was recently revised to take into account and implement the experience and best practice developed and established since the original version was drafted in 2008. In particular, the update addresses the need to provide more and up to date guidance on (i) the application of scaling when checking whether a downstream user's use of a substance is covered by the supplier's exposure scenario, and (ii) the communication of information on the safe use of mixtures. The English version of the updated guidance had already been published immediately after finalisation of the consultation procedure in December 2013. The translations of the full updated guidance in the full range of EU official languages have now been published on the ECHA website.

Guidance for downstream users | Consultation procedure on Guidance

More biocides terminology on ECHA-term in 23 EU languages

More key terms related to biocides can now be found on ECHA-term in 23 EU languages. There are 54 new terms extracted from the Biocidal Products Regulation. In total, the database contains more than 1 300 entries in English. Users can consult the terms or their definitions in different languages and download the terms free of charge.

ECHA-term is a multilingual terminology database supporting your work in 23 EU languages.

ECHA-term terminology database

Exchange Network on Exposure Scenarios meeting - programme available

13 - 14 May 2014, Helsinki

The draft programme of the sixth Exchange Network on Exposure Scenarios meeting on 13-14 May is now published. The main theme for ENES6 is the improvement of the sector use maps. These are used as a tool for improving the quality of the chemical safety reports and exposure scenarios. Other topics of the meeting include exposure scenario short titles for communication and information on the safe use of mixtures. ENES6 will also share progress on other ongoing actions for generating and implementing effective exposure scenarios.

More information on ENES6

Biocides Stakeholders' Day – date announced

24 September 2014, Helsinki

ECHA will organise its second Biocides Stakeholders' Day conference on Wednesday 24 September in ECHA's conference centre in Helsinki.

Registration for the event will open in May and further information will be published on the ECHA website soon.

Fifth seminar on applications for authorisation - 28-29 April 2014 - register now

From 28 to 29 April 2014, ECHA will host a new edition of this event which already took place in the three previous years. The aim is to raise the overall understanding of potential applicants on the authorisation application procedure through presentations, discussions and feedback from industry.

The registration deadline is on Friday, 11 April 2014.

More information | Register