Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) requires manufacturers, importers and Only Representatives of non-European manufacturers to share data on potential health and environmental hazard and provide data to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in a formalized registration process.

Substance Information Exchange Forums

A Substance Information Exchange Forum (SIEF) has been set up for each substance. Manufacturers, importers of substances >1 t/year need to agree on:

• classification and labelling
• exposure scenarios and uses

Under the new EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP) every company dealing with chemicals needs to know about hazards and uses and may provide information to ECHA; it may be associated in a SIEF.

• Overall agreement to be reached on classification, labelling and uses
• Continuous obligation to monitor the hazard assessment of substances

REACH and CLP being based on the principle of self-classification by industry; the prior harmonized classification of substances contained in Annex 1 of Directive 67/548 becomes Annex VI of CLP. Classification in Annex VI of CLP is minimum classification; industry has to evaluate whether additional/stricter classification applies.

• ASW/RCF (classified category 1B)
• AES (exempted)
• Self-classification applies to PCW