REACH inspectors find that not all companies are complying with authorisation requirements

23 Jun 2017 10:34 AM

Inspectors in 17 European countries have checked compliance with the authorisation obligations under REACH for the use & placing on the market of 13 substances of very high concern with sunset dates in 2015. 

Inspections in companies that used or placed the substances on the market showed a rate of non-compliance of 10.7 % and 8.9 % respectively.

A pilot project under the Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement of 13 substances of very high concern subject to authorisation with sunset dates in 2015 has shown that most of the inspected European companies complied with REACH authorisation obligations.

The inspections checked if the substances were used or placed on the market without an authorisation and whether other authorisation-related duties were fulfilled. Where an authorisation had already been granted, inspectors were also checking compliance with the conditions of the granted authorisations.

The inspectors from 17 participating countries reported a total of 802 inspections within the framework of this project. 78 % of the inspected companies were SMEs. The vast majority of the companies did not actually use (93 %) or place on the market (92 %) any of the substances that had a sunset date in 2015.

Inspections in companies that used or placed the substances on the market showed a rate of non-compliance of 10.7 % and 8.9 % respectively. Infringement of authorisation provisions is considered a serious offence. In all cases of non-compliance, inspectors took appropriate enforcement measures, such as verbal or written advice, filing administrative orders or criminal complaints to remedy the non-compliances.

The report from the project is publicly available.