WIREDGOV

ECHA has published its annual evaluation report, delivering updated statistics on evaluated substances and registration dossiers, and giving advice to registrants on how to improve the information they provide on chemicals.

Helsinki, 28 February 2019 – In 2018, ECHA checked the compliance of 286 registrations, most of which focused on substances of potential concern. ECHA verifies key information requirements which allow authorities to identify if the substance is carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic; or persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic. In 211 cases, the Agency has asked registrants for further information to show that the substance is used safely. ECHA has also examined 198 testing proposals. Altogether, the Agency adopted 274 final decisions, in which 888 different information requests were asked.

The numbers show a similar picture to previous years – in the majority of registration dossiers that ECHA checks, important safety information is missing. After ECHA’s request, most registrants update their dossiers with compliant information.

Bjorn Hansen, ECHA’s Executive Director: “Efforts from all actors are needed to ensure that the safety data companies provide complies with the law. As an Agency, we will further improve the efficiency of our work on compliance checks, and both ourselves and Member States must do more to accelerate the evaluation process. But companies also need to treat their registrations as business cards. Compliant registration dossiers are their key investment to a predictable and sustainable future.”

In 2018, ECHA and the Member State authorities progressed 114 substance evaluations. ECHA issued 27 new draft decisions and adopted 21 substance evaluation decisions consisting of 63 requests for further information to clarify concerns.

Based on the evaluation outcomes and observations, ECHA has published recommendations on how registrants can improve their dossiers.

Background info

Every year, ECHA publishes the annual statistics about the progress made in evaluation, according to the Article 54 of REACH.

For the first time, the Evaluation Progress Report has not been published as a standalone report, but instead the statistics on the progress made in dossier and substance evaluation have been made available online along with recommendations to registrants.

ECHA’s Integrated Regulatory Strategy report, to be published in April, will provide further statistics and information on the impact of evaluation work.

Further Information

• Progess in evaluation 2018
• Progress in evaluation 2009-2018
• Recommendations to registrants
• REACH compliance – an Agency priority for 2019 (ECHA Newsletter, 1/2019)
• Integrated Regulatory Strategy