FuelsEurope position on 2017 REACH REFIT Review

The sector is committed to complying with the requirements of REACH and continues to take all necessary steps to achieve timely REACH implementation and compliance, through its role in generating additional information about the safe use of petroleum substances and contributing to the SIEF for petroleum products.

The Regulation is complex and ambitious, but industry has supported the framework of REACH, which is compatible with the sector’s key principles of grounding decisions in science, risk-based processes and focus on safe for intended use.

REACH implementation is still not complete. The deadline for Registrations for lower tonnage substances is in 2018, and Evaluations of existing dossiers and substances are still ongoing. In light of the challenges ahead the refining industry feels that predictability and legal certainty, as well as a renewed focus on simplifying implementation, is required for most effective future delivery. As such:
• The sector thinks that the REACH Regulation should not be revised at this time;
• The sector believes that the REACH Review should focus on REACH implementation and governance to make it simpler and less costly to implement and administer within the current framework.