ECHA presents proposal to update action plan for substance evaluation during 2015, 2016 and 2017

On 30.10.2014, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published a proposal to update the three-year Community rolling action plan for substance evaluation during 2015, 2016 and 2017 (CoRAP). The action plan contains 65 newly selected substance and a further 69 substances from the plan adopted and published in March 2014.

The proposal is first of all directed at the competent authorities of Member States for REACH and CLP (CARACAL) and the ECHA Member State Committee (MSC). The draft update is expected to be reviewed until February 2015 and then adopted and published in March 2015.

In line with structure to date, the draft of the updated action plan contains information about the relevant substance (including EC and CAS numbers), the planned year of evaluation, the proposed evaluating Member State and a brief indication of the “initial grounds for concern”.

In accordance with the requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH), substance evaluation on the basis of the action plan is designed to review the necessity of more extensive regulatory measures for the selected substances. If the grounds which prompted the inclusion of a substance in the action plan cannot be ruled out in the course of the evaluation, companies which have registered the relevant substance will, amongst other things, have to expect decisions on more extensive data requirements.

Once the new action plan has been adopted and published, companies which have as manufacturers or importers registered the substances will have to assess the possible impact of the evaluation and, if necessary, contact the competent national evaluation agencies in good time. Companies who have not registered the substances, but use these for example in their production, will, however, should also follow developments in this respect closely so that any substitution of required substances can be initiated in due time.