REACH: implications for importers

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REACH implications for importers Hendrik
Abma Director General European Association of
Chemical Distributors (FECC) HICCS
Conference 22 May 2008
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AGENDA

• FECC
• REACH and Chemical Distributors
• Implications for importers
• Only Representative

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FECC MEMBERSHIP
National Associations 17 (including
Switzerland and Norway)
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FECC MEMBERSHIP
Company Members 31 ALGOL CHEMICALS OY
AVANTEC S.A. AZELIS S.A. BANG BONSOMER
GROUP BIESTERFELD A.G. BRENNTAG HOLDING GmbH
Co BTC Europe CALDIC BV CAMPI Y JOVE
S.A. C.H. ERBSLÖH K.G. DIPOL Chemical
International Inc. EIGENMANN VERONELLI S.p.A.
GROLMAN GROUP HARKE GROUP Aug. HEDINGER GmbH
Co Associate Members 12
HSH GROUP IMCD GROUP B.V. KRAHN CHEMIE GmbH
NORDMANN RASSMANN GmbH Co OMYA AG ORKA d.o.o.
PENTA CHEMIKALIEN GmbH Co KG QUIMIDROGA S.A.
QUIMITECNICA.COM S.A. R2 GROUP A/S SAFECHEM
EUROPE GmbH  TENNANTS DISTRIBUTION Ltd. TER
HELL group UNIVAR Europe Ltd WARWICK
INTERNATIONAL GROUP LTD. WELDING
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LATEST FECC ACTIVITIES ON REACH

• Observer seat at REACH CA
• Round table on pre-registration, March 2008
• Presentation to the ECHA, Feb. 2007
• Testing of the Navigator and REACH IT
• Participation in Commission REACH workshops
• REACH Implementation Projects (RIPs)
• 3.1 Registration and Overall Guidance
• 3.2 Chemical Safety Assessment and Report
• 3.4 Data and cost sharing
• 3.5 Downstream users obligations
• 3.6 GHS

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LATEST FECC ACTIVITIES ON REACH

• FECC information to the Members on REACH
• Monthly REACH section in Newsletter and regular
  e-mails with updates and latest information.
• FAQ on REACH for non-EU companies
• Standard reply to customers
• How to get prepared for REACH leaflet
• Exemptions and Key dates in REACH
• REACH and cosmetics, food and pharma
• FECC Seminar on REACH Implementation for Chemical
  Distributors, 20 November 2007
• REACH session in Annual Congress, Budapest June
  2008

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REACH CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS
REACH will affect the entire supply chain and
will make the chemical distributors play a
crucial role
MANUFACTURERS / IMPORTERS
Properties of substances and safe uses
Information on uses of substances
DISTRIBUTORS
DOWNSTREAM USERS
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REACH CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS

• Chemical Distributors may have different roles in
  REACH
• Importer/Manufacturer import into the EU (or
  manufacture) a substance or a substance in a
  preparation in 1 or more tonnes/year
• Distributor only stores and places on the market
  a substance, on its own or in a preparation, for
  third parties
• Downstream user uses a substance, either on its
  own or in a preparation, in the course of his
  industrial or professional activities, e.g.
  formulation, dilution, re-packaging, etc

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REACH CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS

• which entails different obligations.
• IMPORTER Pre-register and Register imported
  substances or substances in preparation gt 1 t/y
• DISTRIBUTOR Make sure information is passed up
  and down in the supply chain
• DOWNSTREAM USER communication of information on
  own uses upstream or carry out use assessment

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REACH CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS
Different roles for the same company
1) Buy Substance Y from EU supplier
1) Import Substance X from non-EU supplier
IMPORTER X
2) Repackage Substance X
DOWNSTREAM USER X
3) Distribute Substances X Y in the EU
DISTRIBUTOR XY
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REACH IMPORTERS

• Strategic decisions at pre-registration
• What to pre-register?
• Current portfolio or intentions of future
  imports
• Survive REACH or Keep every option open
• When?
• During the pre-registration period (1 June 1
  Dec. 2008)
• Later for first time M/I
• What?
• Name of the substance
• Contact details of pre-registrant
• Substances for read-accross
• Wish to act as SIEF Facilitator

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REACH IMPORTERS

• Pre-SIEF discussions on sameness of substance
• Agreement on same substance
• SIEF Formation
• Data sharing
• Joint submission

RIP 3.10
Communication to ECHA?
SIEF obligations apply
or Opt-out
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REACH IMPORTERS

• Participation in the SIEF
• Active participant ?
• Time-consuming
• Often scarce resources devoted to REACH
  compliance
• Opportunity to influence discussions on consortia
  and cost sharing agreements

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REACH IMPORTERS

• Guidelines on cost sharing affordable for SMEs!
• REACH says that SIEF participants shall make
  every effort to share costs in a fair,
  transparent and non-discriminatory way (article
  30)
• According to volume (applicable to all tonnage
  bands)
• Principles also apply to new studies
• Freedom of choice Historic vs replacement
• Mark-up factors supported by documentation

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• Guidelines on cost sharing affordable for SMEs!
• Possibility of reduction factors
• Risk premium only in some circumstances
• Only one study per endpoint will be
  compensated
• Payment at moment of registration
• Value for risk premium and administrative
  costs
• Recommendation be aware of the guidelines for
  discussions on cost sharing

REACH IMPORTERS
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REACH IMPORTERS

• Other Obligations
• Communication in the supply chain
• Provide downstream users with the appropriate
  SDS/ES and/or information for safe use
• Record information
• Keep available and up-to-date information for
  10 years after the last manufacture, import,
  distribution or use of a substance.

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REACH IMPORTERS

• Non-EU companies
• Non-EU Companies exporting chemicals to the EU
  have no obligations under REACH.
• However, they can appoint an Only Representative
  based in the EU who will fulfil the obligations
  of the Importers.
• In case a non-EU company appoints an OR, the
  Importers become Downstream Users and have no
  further Registration obligations
• Find out before pre-registration!

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REACH IMPORTERS

• Only Representative vs Importer
• Less control over imports
• Tied to OR
• Information on customers and volumes
• Relieved from importer obligations

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Thank you very much for your attention Questions?
www.fecc.org