REACH Pre-Registration Deadline is Just 38 Days Away

24 Oct 2008

HOUSTON, TEXAS - Intertek, a leading global provider of quality and safety services, is experiencing a significant increase in REACH Only Representative and (Pre)Registration Services requests worldwide as companies rush to comply with the European Union (EU) REACH Pre-Registration deadline of December 1, 2008.

REACH compliance (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) affects all manufacturers, importers, distributors or users of chemical substances or products in the EU. The EU requires all chemical substances that are manufactured in or imported into the EU in amounts of over 1 tonne per year to be registered with the EU Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

Dr. Ruud Overbeek with Intertek Health and Environmental Services said "The impact of REACH on any product imported into or manufactured in the European Union should not be underestimated. Any company doing business in the EU should take urgent action to understand their REACH obligations and ensure business continuity."

The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) set a pre-registration timeline from June, 2008 to November 30, 2008 allowing companies to maintain their business until full registration requirements are met. Only companies with a legal entity within the EU can register directly with the ECHA. Non-EU legal entities must appoint an "Only Representative", a legal representation vested in the EU, to register their chemical substances on their behalf.

Due to the complexity of the regulation, many companies are still working on defining their compliance strategy. With only 40 days before the deadline, those with significant trade interest in the EU must hurry to meet the requirements in order to avoid non-compliance and negative business impacts. Companies rely upon Intertek's REACH expertise to help them meet current and future REACH requirements.

Intertek's global infrastructure of regulatory experts, project managers and consultants is strategically positioned to provide customers a complete solution for REACH compliance for a wide range of industries. Intertek is helping a growing list of over 700 Clients with their REACH compliance requirements and has pre-registered over 3500 chemicals substances.

For more information, please contact our REACH Experts at reach@intertek.com or visit www.intertek.com/reach.