REACH is a European Regulation (No 1907/2006) concerning safety of chemicals use. It targets to improve the protection of human health and the environment.
The regulation came into effect on June 1st of 2007. The first deadline came into effect on December 1st, 2010 and the third deadline is on 2018. Since REACH is new for all companies and industries, these long deadlines give suppliers time to find a ORO member to be their Only Representative.
In principle, REACH applies to all chemical substances; not only those used in industrial processes but also in our day-to-day lives, for example in cleaning products, paints as well as in articles such as clothes, furniture and electrical appliances. Therefore, the regulation has an impact on most companies across the EU.
Who are ORO members and what do they do?
A lot of the rules have changed since 2007 and a lot more will change before 2018. The lead authority on the matter is the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). And, they publish constantly Manuals and Publications to facilitate the implementation of REACH.
Therefore, the ORO members can suggest alternatives and act together to make sure that the decisions made by ECHA are in the best interest of everyone involved.
ORO member companies can act as consulting for suppliers entering the European market. This expertise among the ORO members on regulations set up a complete background on REACH and Only Representative obligation.
Although Only Representation is still an unregulated industry and it is still not required to be an ORO member to be an Only Representative, it is extremely advisable that your Only Representative be a member of ORO.
Since as ORO members can protect foreign suppliers. That’s because if any mistakes occur in the process of evaluation or registration of the chemicals, the Only Representative is the one responsible. And, as a member of ORO, Only representatives are able to benefit from a special insurance which protects both the REACH OR and the foreign manufacturer from fines.
CAPLINQ is a trusted ORO member with a broad range of REACH services
CAPLINQ is a REACH Only Representative since 2008, the year REACH was introduced in Europe. As such, CAPLINQ engineers are experts in REACH regulations.
The handling of chemical substances has always been CAPLINQ’s core competency. Thus, it was a natural evolution for CAPLINQ to become Only Representative. Our main customers today are specialty chemical companies that import their chemical substances into Europe.
You can learn more about REACH Services here. Feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
