ECHA recommends authorization for Gentrochema

The European Chemical Agency’s (‘ECHA’) Risk Assessment and Socio Economic Assessment Committees (‘RAC’ and ‘SEAC’) issued their Opinions on Gentrochema’s applications in March 2017, recommending authorization for both sodium & potassium dichromate and uses applied for, with a review period 4 -12 years. 

The Opinions and applications can be retrieved from the ECHA website.

The European Commission with a qualified majority of EU Member States will now have to adopt the authorization decisions. In case authorizations will not have been issued by the respective Sunset Dates, pursuant to Article 58(1)(c)(ii) REACH, Downstream Users (DU) may continue to use the substances beyond the respective Sunset Dates until the Commission will have decided on the authorizations. 

DUs will only be covered by the pending Gentrochema authorization applications beyond the Sunset Dates if 

(i) The use falls within the applied for definition of use; 

(ii) The DUs receive the respective substance from a chemical supplier covered by the specific applications for authorization; 

and (iii) The DUs apply the workplace and environmental requirements set out in the Chemical Safety Reports of the applications