REACH
The REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of CHemicals) chemicals ordinance has regulated the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemicals in the European Union since June 1, 2007. REACH communicates comprehensive data and makes new requirements of manufacturers, importers and users of chemical products: All substances on the European market with an annual volume of one metric ton or more per manufacturer or importer must be registered and evaluated. The extent of the evaluation depends mainly on the amount produced or imported and the expected risks. Particularly hazardous substances are subject to an official approval procedure.
REACH advances environmental and health protection in Europe. Newly acquired knowledge about chemical substances, particularly with respect to their long-term effects, such as carcinogenic or reprotoxicological properties, and risk management constructed on this basis will guarantee a higher level of protection for people and the environment in the future.
REACH
- obligates manufacturers and importers to determine hazardous properties (e.g. poisonous, carcinogenic, environmentally hazardous) of substances (chemicals and naturally occurring substances) and to estimate the effects on health and the environment,
- records the use of substances as components of products,
- prohibits or restricts the certain hazardous substances,
- introduces an approval procedure for particularly hazardous substances,
- obligates manufacturers and importers to provide information about hazardous properties and safe uses of the substances,
- obligates commercial users to perform their own safety analysis if the users do not adhere to the recommendations of the manufacturer or the importer,
- constructs a dense safety network up to product level,
- will have an impact that unfolds over the longer term. An estimated 30,000 substances must be registered over a period of 11 years. Substances which are produced in large volumes or which are already known to be particularly hazardous will be recorded first.
Rheinmetall has been preparing for REACH since 2005. In the Defence division, the companies Nitrochemie Aschau GmbH and Nitrochemie Wimmis AG (manufacturer and formulator), Rheinmetall Waffe und Munitions GmbH (formulator and downstream user), Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (downstream user) and Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH (downstream user) are affected by the REACH ordinance.
The first step toward REACH registration was punctual pre-registration of phase-in substances with an annual production or import volume of one metric ton by December 1, 2008. This included in particular substances listed in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances (EINECS). This inventory includes around 100,000 substance entries. All substances on the market when the obligation to determine the hazardous potential of chemical substances was introduced have been recorded in this inventory.
Nitrochemie has reported 177 substances to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for pre-registration and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition has reported 119.
The first phase of substance registration in accordance with REACH was successfully concluded on December 1, 2010: The ECHA confirmed receipt of six dossiers from Nitrochemie and issued registration numbers for all substances. Rheinmetall is entitled to produce, import and supply these substances without restriction within the European Union.
By June 1, 2013, Nitrochemie will have submitted 15 registration dossiers to ECHA for substances with an annual volume of between 100 metric tons and 1,000 metric tons.
Another 35 substance dossiers are being prepared by Nitrochemie for the third REACH phase which will run until 2018.
At present, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition has no plans to register any substances. The company is making sure that suppliers register all important substances required for Defence production so that their supplies to Rheinmetall Defence comply with REACH.
