Chemicals out of REACH

Date: 03/07/03

By Karen Carstens

A DRAFT list of dangerous chemicals that would be subject to prior market authorisation under the EU's proposed REACH system to register, evaluate and authorize chemicals, has been slimmed down, according to the latest issue of a newsletter published by the European Chemicals Bureau.

Last autumn, EU chemicals experts at the Ispra facility in Italy produced a list of 125 substances believed to be persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBTs) or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvBs).

According to draft chemicals legislation under consultation up to 10 July, the deadline for firms and other interested parties to submit their comments to the Commission, both sets of substances would have to go through the authorization procedure under the new system.

The list, which was previously already reduced to 94 substances, has now been cut back even further after new data was submitted by manufacturers.

Only 24 have been confirmed PBTs or vPvBs, while 26 definitely are not and 19 more need evaluation.

For the other 25 substances, the bureau says more detailed testing is needed.

A list of chemicals that would be subject to prior market authorisation under the EU's proposed REACH system to register, evaluate and authorise chemicals, has been reduced, according to the latest issue of a newsletter published by the European Chemicals Bureau.