Issue 49/2012 - The EU proposes to add 8 new substances to be authorized by REACH

The EU intends to add eight new substances that require REACH authorization

On 3 December 2012, the European Commission published a draft amendment to Annex XIV (List of Authorized Substances) of the REACH regulation, which proposes to add eight new substances
to be authorized.
Prior to this, 14 substances had been identified
in the first and second batches of authorized substances of REACH.
The third and fourth lists of substances to be authorized consist of 13 and 10 substances, respectively, and the lists of substances to be authorized closed for public consultation
on 14 September 2011 and 19 September 2012, respectively.
The eight new substances to be authorized by REACH are from the third batch of the list of substances to be authorized (excluding the five classes of cobalt salt substances that are temporarily exempted from authorization).

The 8 substances are: trichloroethylene, chromium trioxide, chromium trioxide-derived acid, sodium dichromate, potassium dichromate, ammonium dichromate, potassium chromate and sodium
chromate.

Substances subject to REACH authorization will be regulated if: (1) they are supplied as a single substance; (2) supplied in the form of a mixture; (3) Added to articles within the European Union
.

In addition, when an imported article contains any of the above-mentioned substances, if added outside the European Union, the article is not subject
to the authorization procedure.
In this case, however, it is the responsibility of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to consider whether the imported article poses a hazard
to human health or the environment.
If there is a hazard, consideration should be given to whether it should be restricted
by listing it in Annex 17 of REACH.
(Li Song)