Get ready for new REACH requirements for nanomaterials

By 1 January 2020, companies must provide more information on nanomaterials on the EU market under the REACH Regulation. ECHA encourages potential registrants to familiarise themselves with the new legal requirements and get ready.

Helsinki, 8 October 2019 – The new information requirements concern companies that manufacture or import nanoforms of substances that are subject to registration under REACH. Nanoforms of substances are those that fulfil the European Commission’s recommendation for a definition of a nanomaterial. The revised REACH annexes addressing nanoforms introduce clarifications and new provisions for:

(*) characterisation of nanoforms or sets of nanoforms covered by the registration (Annex VI);

(*) the chemical safety assessment (Annex I);

(*) registration information requirements (Annexes III and VII-XI); and

(*) downstream user obligations (Annex XII).

The purpose is to make sure companies provide enough information to demonstrate the safe use of their nanoforms for human health and the environment. The amendments apply to all the new and existing registrations covering nanoforms. This means that registrants are expected to update their existing dossiers with nanoform-specific information by 1 January 2020.

Available guidance and test guidelines

ECHA’s new nano-specific guidance helps companies to comply with the changes in Annex VI. In addition, the guidance on read-across between nanoforms or sets of nanoforms is being updated to reflect the changes. Both documents are expected to be ready by the end of 2019. The draft documents are published on the ongoing guidance consultation page.

The 2017 ECHA guidance for human health and the environment is also being updated. The OECD is revising some of their existing test guidelines used under REACH, to ensure that data generated on nanoforms is reliable and meets regulatory standards. An overview of the revised REACH Annexes and the available test methods are available on the EU observatory for nanomaterials (EUON).

CONTINUE READING ON echa.europa.eu