The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) and the German Chemical Employers' Association (BAVC) have joined forces to “vehemently reject” calls for a three-week shutdown for the chemical-pharmaceutical industry. This has been suggested as part of a nationwide ‘hard lockdown’ to fight the rapid growth in COVID-19 infection.

The need to obtain REACH authorisation before using harmful chemicals “has sped up substitution and reduced risks to people’s health and the environment - at a reasonable cost”, according to a recent study by ECHA that was based on information from 2010-20.

From 1 February, Sumitomo Chemical will establish a strategy council and a cross-functional team led by executive officers supervising research planning and coordination, Responsible Care and related functions to promote and formulate strategies for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. This will be based on four approaches:

* Minimising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with its production activities through innovation, and deploying new technologies to that end

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has revealed that about 2,900 registrations of 268 chemicals by UK-based manufacturers, importers and only representatives under REACH have now been revoked and become void, because a transfer from a UK- to a EU-based registrant was not started by the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020.

This equates to about 3% of all registrations and about 1% of all registered substances. Of these, about 60% were registered only for intermediate use, meaning that the market impact of their registration being revoked will be limited.

ECHA has announced that all REACH registrations submitted by UK-based manufacturers, importers and only representatives that have not gone through all the steps required to complete the registration, both by the registrant and the agency by 31 December, will not be processed further. This date marks the end of the transition period for the UK’s departure from the EU.

The UK government has extended the deadline for chemicals companies to register their products with the new ‘UK REACH’ system from up to two years to up to six, depending on tonnage and hazard. The new system will come into force on 1 January, following the Brexit transition period.

The European Commission has completed its annual review of chemicals subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, based on developments in EU law and the Rotterdam Convention. As a result, 22 substances have been added to the list of those where exporters are required to notify their designated national authority at least days before exporting them as a product or in mixtures, as of 1 September. In 20 cases, consent from the importing country is also needed.