Web helpline to REACH 2018 deadline

ECHA (chemical agency of the European Union) has urged all companies to start preparing now for the REACH registration deadline of 31 May 2018. To support this, ECHA has published new web pages with improved access to relevant information. This registration deadline concerns substances manufactured or imported in low volumes, 1 to 100 tonnes per year.
REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on 1st June 2007. It streamlines and improves the former legislative framework on chemicals of the European Union (EU).
The main aims of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, the promotion of alternative test methods, the free circulation of substances on the internal market and enhancing competitiveness and innovation.
REACH makes industry responsible for assessing and managing the risks posed by chemicals and providing appropriate safety information to their users. In parallel, the European Union can take additional measures on highly dangerous substances, where there is a need for complementing action at EU level.
ECHA has consulted its stakeholders over the past months to  enable the Agency to offer the best possible support for companies preparing for the last registration deadline of phase-in substances. As a first action, ECHA has launched a set of new web pages related to REACH 2018, which outline the phases leading to a successful registration. The pages help companies to begin their preparations already now and give them easy access to the current information on ECHA’s website.
The registration process has been divided into seven phases and each phase has its own web page. Each of these pages provides key information, practical tips for registrants and links to further information relevant for that phase. Special attention has been paid to ensure that the content is understandable also to small and medium-sized enterprises. The links lead to three levels of reading: getting started, essential reading and going deeper. The new REACH 2018 web pages are available in 23 EU languages.
ECHA invites the national helpdesks and all its accredited stakeholder organisations to include a link to the REACH 2018 web pages from their own websites in order to help companies find their way to the sources of information. The Agency also urges all affected companies to start preparing for the last REACH registration deadline well ahead of time.
ECHA will continue to work together with its stakeholders to simplify IT-tools, processes and support to help companies, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises, to meet their duties under REACH. The national REACH helpdesks and the ECHA Helpdesk are there to support companies during the run towards the deadline and a new series of webinars will be organised for registrants in the coming years.  Later this year, ECHA will publish its ?Registration 2018 Roadmap’, which will outline the specific actions being taken by ECHA, in order to make the best possible preparation for 2018.
(For details: http://bit.ly/ZCpo2v)