Enter the REACH enforcers

Helsinki - A project, called REACH-EN-FORCE-1, has started across Europe to enforce the core principle of REACH: 'no data, no market', the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has announced.  National inspectors, it said, are now checking pre-registrations, registrations as well as provisions for Safety Data Sheets.

Inspectors in the participating countries are focusing on the phase-in substances (existing substances) and check through inspections whether companies have submitted a pre-registration or a registration and, where necessary, whether a Safety Data Sheet has been supplied.

The project will provide feedback the level of compliance by manufacturers and importers with REACH in the EU and European Economic Area. At the same time, the capacity of the enforcement authorities to enforce REACH will be enhanced, said the ECHA.

A designated national coordinator is to oversee the implementation of the project in each participating country and provide training for local inspectors. For that purpose, the national coordinators were trained by the Forum Working Group at ECHA¹s premises earlier in April.

The results of the project will be collected by the end of 2009 and the Forum Working Group will analyse the results and produce a report in early 2010. The Forum is also preparing a second coordinated project to be launched in 2010.

In a separate development, Yorkshire Chemical Forward (YCF) has launched a REACH Legal Helpline through which Hammonds LLP can give fellow YCF members initial legal guidance and advice in respect of REACH-specific matters.