MERCEDES VIñAS
Head of Unit for dossier submission and PIC, European Chemicals Agency, (ECHA)

Are you manufacturing or importing chemicals in the EU/EEA more than one tonne a year? If so, the clock is ticking for you. With just a couple of months to go until the last REACH registration deadline on 31 May, you still have time to prepare your registration dossier, but you should start now.

WORK TOGETHER WITH OTHER COMPANIES

REACH follows the ‘one substance, one registration’ principle, which means that all companies registering the same substance have to work together on a joint registration and agree on the data to be submitted to ECHA. One company – the lead registrant – will first submit the agreed data on behalf of the others, who will then submit later as members. Selecting a lead registrant as soon as possible is key to making sure all companies can register in time. Consider volunteering yourself for the role if no one else does and the substance is critical for you.

Registering a substance together with other companies is the beginning of a long cooperation that lasts beyond registration. Later on, authorities may contact you with requests for more information or you may decide to update your dossier – you need to ...