REACH says that industrial operators must register any substances they manufacture or import in quantities above one tonne a year with the new European Chemicals Agency. The CLP (Classification, Labelling, Packaging) Regulation says they have to notify ECHA of the classification and labelling of all hazardous substances they place on the market, no matter what the production volume.

Too many European firms still do not know about these obligations, and could end up being fined if they do not fulfil them on time.

The first deadline – the end of November 2010 – is rapidly closing in. So ETUC and EMCEF are looking to all their member organizations in Europe to pass on to employers the information resources put out by the European Commission, to help SMEs in particular save needless costs in this harsh economic climate.

The REACH and CLP Regulations will fall short without the unions which, with thousands of workers’ reps, are the only organisations able to reach the maximum number of firms of all sizes in Europe.

ETUC and EMCEF are also confident that successful implementation of these new laws will not only help enhance the competitiveness of the European chemical industry, but also deliver better protection for workers, consumers and the environment.

More information: the European Commission’s information brochures on the REACH and CLP Regulations are available in all official EU languages on the ETUC website (http://www.etuc.org/r/830) and the EMCEF website (http://www.emcef.org/news.asp )