Producers set up REACH ethyl benzene consortium

The Styrene Producers Association has organised a REACH registration consortium for ethyl benzene. Initially around ten companies are expected to join; membership is open to all EU producers and importers and Only Representatives of non-EU firms. Downstream users may join as associate members.

Ethyl benzene will require full registration under REACH before 1 December 2010 as about 1% of production, approximately 50,000 tonnes/year, is used in solvents applications. The bulk of output is used as an intermediate in the manufacture of styrene.

SPA sector group manager Oliver Sloan says law firm McKenna Long & Aldrich (MLA) has been contracted to manage the consortium. It already manages the SPA’s REACH styrene consortium, which was launched in June.

To cover the running costs, companies will have to pay between €4,000-5,000 to join. Mr Sloan says as ethylene benzene is a high production volume chemical there is a lot of data already available. However he notes that the EU Risk Assessment Report is still being finalised, and the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risk has identified that the risk assessment of ethyl benzene is inconclusive and there is insufficient data. He adds that over the next year the consortium will complete a gap analysis and start working on how to generate the necessary data. The cost of obtaining the additional data is not covered by the consortium joining fee. For more information contact Oliver Sloan: osl@cefic.org

• Ethyl Benzene REACH Consortium