From: TCE Today
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is to publish on its website the names of registrants of chemicals under the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) legislation.
The announcement appears to be in response to a lawsuit brought against ECHA by environmental law organisation ClientEarth and chemicals watchdog ChemSec. They alleged that ECHA would not release the names of companies producing chemicals identified as substances of very high concern (SVHC) under REACH laws. ClientEarth has compiled a list of 356 SVHC called the SIN (Substitute it Now) list, which are carcinogenic, mutagenic or damage the reproductive system, as well as some that persist in the environment.
Under REACH legislation, all companies in the EU producing or importing chemicals must register them with ECHA. The lawsuit claims that ECHA refused to disclose the facilities the chemicals were produced in, or the quantities. ClientEarth and ChemSec say that this refusal is in breach of EU transparency laws.
ECHA, meanwhile, said that it has yet to receive any formal notification of the court case, and any comment on the allegations will be made to the court. The decision to begin publishing names of registrants and some other information contained within chemicals’ safety data sheets on the dissemination section of the ECHA website was taken following a legal review.
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