REACH / General
Complying with Reach
Since 2007, chemical substances including solvents have been regulated at the European level under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals regulation, known as REACH. REACH requires all manufacturers in Europe and importers to register detailed technical dossiers addressing the health, safety and environmental risks on each chemical substance. To comply with the regulation, companies must identify and manage the risks linked to the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They have to demonstrate to ECHA how the substance can be safely used and must communicate the risk management measures to the users.
ESIG provides guidance to solvent manufacturers and importers in Europe on ways to comply with those requirements. Our Generic Exposure Scenarios (GES) are the solvents industry standard in Europe today to ensure REACH compliance through the supply chain and form the basis for the supporting DU sectors activities on Use Mapping that is recommended by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) – ENES website and Use Map Library.
Reach Registration
The registration of ESIG substances is done in consortia. The respective trade associations, HSPA or OSPA, carry out most of the preparatory work (substance identity and naming convention) or provide regulatory support.
Hydrocarbon Solvents
The Hydrocarbon Solvents Consortium (HCSC) prepares registration dossiers for hydrocarbon solvents.
To facilitate the registration of numerous solvents, nine categories have been set up and new EC and substance names are used to better describe the substances. The reference between the HSPA substances and the Chemical Abstracts Service number (CAS no.) can be found in the HSPA substance CAS no. relationship compilation.
You can learn more about consortium activities, including membership details, on the consortium’s official website.
Oxygenated Solvents
Various REACH consortia were created for the following oxygenated solvents, which are mostly managed by the ReachCentrum:
- Glycol Ethers
- Ethyl Acetate
- Methylethylketone (MEK)/ Secondary Butylalcohol
- Methylisobutylketone (MIBK)
- Isopropanol (IPA)