ECHA withdraws "confusing" guide to evaluating different crystalline forms for REACH

ECHA has withdrawn REACH Practical Guide 11 on how to address specific substance identification issues: evaluation of different crystalline forms, which it says was open to misinterpretation and had caused confusion. A revised guide will be published shortly.

According to one industry source, the practical guide was published extremely quickly. “For a lot of chemical companies still under the registration process, this guide was a surprise. Indeed it was confusing, and several companies had started to gather data to fulfill the new requirements, and effectively duplicate the registration dossier for the same substance.”

He added: “With this withdraw, we can highlight that ECHA has taken into account the voice of a third party: a very good point for the chemical industry.”

• ECHA statement