The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) recently submitted several draft guidance documents concerning nanomaterials to Partner Expert Groups (PEG) for consultation. Following consultation with PEGs, ECHA will consult its committees and/or Forum, where relevant. The final consultation will be with the European Commission (EC) and the relevant Competent Authorities. To ensure that the guidance updating process is transparent and open to participation by relevant partners, ECHA will...
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On June 1, 2016, the German Environment Agency (UBA) published a report entitled Nanomaterials in the environment: Current state of knowledge and regulations on chemical safety. The aim of the report is to outline the necessary further development of chemicals regulations for nanomaterials with regard to the environment from UBA’s perspective. The report is addressed “particularly to players and decision-makers involved in discussions related to the adaptation of the various...
February 6, 2016
EC Publishes Inception Impact Assessment Concerning Possible REACH Annex Amendments for Registration of Nanomaterials
On February 2, 2016, the European Commission (EC) published an inception impact assessment concerning “Possible amendments of Annexes to REACH for registration of nanomaterials.” According to the inception impact assessment, the EC identified a need for more specific requirements for nanomaterials to ensure further clarity on how nanomaterials are addressed and safety demonstrated in registration dossiers to attain the aims of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and...
On January 6, 2016, the European Union (EU) published its Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/9 regarding the joint submission of data and data sharing under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in the Official Journal of the European Union. The European Commission (EC) Competent Authorities for REACH and CLP (CARACAL) has been developing this Regulation to clarify further what is meant by determining data sharing in a “fair,...
August 25, 2015
Companies Appeal ECHA’s Decision on Silicon Dioxide
On August 19, 2015, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced appeals of its March 11, 2015, decision on substance evaluation for silicon dioxide. Case A-015-2015 was filed by Evonik Degussa GmbH and 34 others, while Case A-014-2015 was filed by Grace GmbH & Co. KG and Advanced Refining Technologies GmbH. The appellants in Case A-015-2015 challenge ECHA’s decision to include silicon dioxide on the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) “due to...
On July 16, 2015, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced the following appeals in which the keywords include nanoforms: The cases all concern silicic acid, aluminum sodium salt. The contested decisions were adopted December 17, 2014, following a compliance check under the dossier evaluation procedure of the submitted registration. In each contested decision, ECHA found that the registration did not comply with the requirements of Article 10(a)(ii), as well as Annex VI, Section 2 of...
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued a June 9, 2015, press release reminding registrants to consider the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) dissemination of hazard information on the following nanomaterials, and to update their dossiers accordingly: ECHA “encourages registrants of these substances to carefully assess the new data. When relevant, they should take this information into account and update their registration dossiers accordingly to...
Environmental Law Network International’s (ELNI) recent issue of elni Review includes an article entitled “Law and innovation in the context of nanomaterials: Barriers to sustainable development? Results of an empirical study,” which examines to what degree the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation promotes innovations for sustainability through nanomaterials. The authors surveyed 37 companies based in Germany that...
November 15, 2012
NGOs Call for “Nano Patch” for REACH, and EC Responds
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), ClientEarth, and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) released on November 13, 2012, a proposal for European Union (EU) legislation to address the risks of nanomaterials. CIEL states that the non-governmental organizations’ (NGO) proposal was prompted by the European Commission’s (EC) October 3, 2012, Communication on the Second Regulatory Review on Nanomaterials. The Communication describes the Registration,...
October 18, 2012
ECHA Will Hold Webinar on REACH Registration Dossiers for Nanomaterials and Creates Nanomaterials Working Group
On October 30, 2012, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will hold a webinar entitled “How to ensure the safe use of nanomaterials under REACH Part I: Characterisation of nanoforms of substances in registration dossiers.” According to ECHA, the webinar will provide information to registrants on the type of information to be included in a Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registration dossier for a substance with nanoform(s). In addition, on...