REACH: Cefic rubbishes SIN list

Brussels - European chemicals industry group Cefic has dismissed concerns over the publication of a report by an environmental group called ChemSec, which calls for an immediate ban on around 200 chemicals under REACH. The NGO's so-called  SIN (Substitute it Now) list is "obviously bare of any legal value," and unlikely to have any impact on chemical sales, Cefic emphasised.

According to Cefic, as an environmental interest group, ChemSec is seeking to frighten and mislead the public. The list, it added, is "a 'wish list' document published by environmental groups, which has no legal value and is not part of the REACH process. It includes a range of high volume substances like benzene and styrene, which are only used as intermediates and therefore do not even fall under authorisation."

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is the sole responsible body to publish the candidate list of substances that will undergo further evaluation and which might end up on the official Candidate List - the substances eligible to the authorisation element of REACH. On 30 June, ECHA published a first list including 16 substances, though member states can still propose further substances for inclusion.

"Responsibility for this process lies exclusively with ECHA and the EU member states and Cefic believes that any list published outside this process is of no help at all," the industry group stated. "Fundamentally, an authorisation process for the marketing of chemical substances ... allows interested companies to document a dossier to indeed get the authorisation. In the case of REACH this requires that companies are able to demonstrate the safe management of the substances."