Antimony trade body to start talks on REACH consortia
All producers and importers into the EU of antimony compounds considering registering under the REACH Regulation are being invited to join consortia being planned by the International Antimony Oxide Industry Association (IAOIA).
A “kick-off” meeting is planned on 20 September in Antwerp, Belgium and companies intending at least to pre-register next year are being asked to send a letter of intent to the IAOIA indicating that it may like to cooperate. The association plans to finalise contract agreements for the consortia by January 2008.
It sees itself as the ideal organisation to lead consortia for a range of antimony compounds based on its experience of setting up stakeholders group to submit data and work with regulators conducting a risks assessment of the high volume chemical antimony trioxide (ATO) under the EU’s existing chemicals law. All outstanding assessments under this law are due to be finalised by April 2008 to make way for the new requirements of the REACH Regulation. A final risk assessment of ATO is expected by December.
IAOIA says the work already put in under the EU Existing Substances Regulation means that it is prepared to pre-register ATO and it has a significant head start towards meeting the more extensive data requirements for REACH registration.
The association has commissioned toxicologists to conduct a detailed gap analysis to look at which data can be used under REACH and which need to be generated for ATO and ten other antimony compounds. First results of this analysis will be discussed in September, together with the cost implications. The IAOIA points out that the more companies that work together, the lower such costs are likely to be.
A further kick-off meeting is to be held in China on 29 October to attract companies based in the Asia-Pacific region.
ATO is used widely in conjunction with halogenated flame retardants to enhance their effectiveness in plastics, paints, adhesives, sealants, rubber and textile back coatings. It is also used as a catalyst in the production of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) drink bottles. The compound has been targeted as a chemical of concern by various eco-labelling and industry declarable substance schemes due to its possible carcinogenicity.
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