Thousands of companies could stop its activity to the delay in adapting to the Reach Regulation
October 14, 2008
The term of prerregitro of the European Reach regulation since its entry into force last year regulating the production, import and use of more than 40,000 chemical substances that are produced in Europe, concluded on 1 December.
The procedure of pre-registration started on June 1, obliges the undertakings concerned to submit to the European Agency of substances and preparations chemicals (Echa) the identifying data of the chemical substances produced or imported above 1 tonne per year, whether as a substance in the form of preparation or contained in articles intended to liberate themselves.
Up to 10,000 companies affected in Spain
Given the important contribution and presence of the chemical industry, for example, 30 per cent of the cost of a car corresponds to chemical substances incorporated into the manufacturing process, Reach is more far-reaching than the chemical industry: applies to all its customers, its suppliers, and, ultimately, to the entire value chain. Overall it is estimated that 10,000 enterprises of our country must adapt to the Reach Regulation, belonging both to the chemical sector and to important sectors such as food, textile, construction, metal, automotive and other sectors users of chemical substances.
50 Days of the expiry of the deadline for pre-registration, only a third of Spanish companies have been made to it. According to data published by the European Agency, only a third of the Spanish undertakings concerned has already done the pre-registration, despite the fact that the term will expire in less than a month and a half.
Not producing or importing companies tackle this procedure, or from applying for business users to its suppliers who make it, from the first of December, thousands of companies may not produce, sell or use its products and could be forced to stop their activity.
On the other hand, the month of September, the Spanish Administration issued the proposal for a draft bill on the system of penalties for companies that fail to comply with the Reach Regulation, and that applies to all those that December 1 not have carried out pre-registration.
In this sense, it is essential to remember that the use of chemical substances not prerregistradas or registered is only permitted for those substances purchased before June 1, 2008.
The gravity of the situation which could deal with production companies and contractors would endanger seriously the activity of many industrial sectors, so it is necessary that the Spanish authorities persist in their warnings to the business sector.
Since 2007, Feique the Ministry of industry, tourism and trade, and other organs of the Administration began the intensive dissemination of the obligations of the regulations. However, the difficulty of reaching companies away from the channels of information from business associations, and the erroneous presumption of the possibility of establishing a moratorium - repeatedly denied by the Community authorities and Spanish - can generate a conflict situation in the business of our country.
