Registration

Registration is when you submit documentation to ECHA which shows that the substance you deal with is handled safely throughout the supply chain, ensuring that human health and the environment are protected.

The documentation you need to submit depends on the volume of the substance you put on the market, the hazards of the substance, and whether or not the substance is only used as an intermediate in the manufacture of another substance under strictly controlled conditions.

The documentation needs to be provided in a registration dossier. The registration dossier includes a description of the uses of the substance, the physico-chemical, ecotoxicological and toxicological properties, and a hazard and risk assessment showing how the risks posed by the use of the substance are controlled.

Registrations are submitted in a IUCLID format through a tool called REACH-IT. In most cases, you need to pay a registration fee.

Registration applies to substances

Each substance needs its own registration. If you deal with mixtures of substances, such as detergents and paints, or articles releasing substances, you need to register the different substances that are in the mixture or article.

You also need to identify and name your substances according to the same rules and criteria, so you can see if your substances are the same as in other companies. If this is the case, you need to register together.

You need to register jointly with other companies

For your registration, you need to collect information on your substance and share it with the other companies registering the same substance. This applies in particular to ecotoxicological and toxicological information. By sharing data you can avoid unnecessary testing on animals and reduce costs.

You will need to agree on the information to be submitted for a substance and register it jointly, although not necessarily at the same time. ECHA's data-sharing processes (pre-registration and inquiry) will help you to get in contact with other registrants, and must be followed before you register.

There are different deadlines for registration

The type of your substance is the main factor in determining when you need to register.

If you have a newly invented substance, it needs to be registered before you place it on the market in the European Economic Area. These are called non-phase-in substances.

Substances that have been on the European market for a long time are called phase-in substances.

The most hazardous phase-in substances and those in the highest volumes are already registered. The last registration deadline is on 31 May 2018 and is for substances in volumes between 1 and 100 tonnes a year.