PRE-registration

To be able to make use of the transitional provision, each potential registrant of a phase-in substance with quantities of 1 ton or more a year must preregister and submit the following information to the European Chemicals Agency:

This information must be submitted between 1 June 2008 and 1 December 2008. One month later, at the latest on 1 January 2009, the Agency will publish a list of preregistered substances on its web site. This list will only contain the names of the substances with EINECS, CAS or other identity codes as well as the last date for registration.

Potential registrants who after 1 December 2008:

• for the first time manufacture/import a phase-in substance in quantities of at least 1 ton a year, or
• for the first time use a phase-in substance for the production of objects, or
• for the first time import an object entailing a registration obligation for phase-in substance

can make use of the transitional provision.

This applies if they submit the above mentioned information to the Agency within six months of first manufacturing, importing or using the substance in quantities of 1 ton or more a year, and within twelve months before the expiry of the applicable period.

Each potential registrant, downstream user or third party who through preregistration has requested registration for a phase-in substance becomes a participant (compulsory!) in an information exchange forum for the substance (Substance Information Exchange Forum, SIEF). The purpose of such a SIEF is to stimulate the exchange of information, prevent repeated research and bring conformity to classification and labelling. An SIEF is set up for each preregistered substance. Each SIEF is operational until 1 June 2018. Before tests are conducted to meet the information requirements for registration, the SIEF participant enquires to SIEF about any already available relevant research. A potential registrant should therefore examine which test results already exist in his own organisation before the preregistration period. He will then be well-prepared for participation in the SIEF. Within one month of the request, the owner of the research provides participants who have submitted a request with evidence of the costs made. The participant(s) and the owner do everything to ensure that the costs of the joint use of the information are established in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory way. Within two weeks of receipt of the payment, the owner gives permission for the registration to refer to the fully study report.

After preregistration there remains 17 months to submit the registration file.