AkzoNobel has submitted its list of substances in compliance with the European Union's REACH legislation.
The company completed the process ahead of the December 1 cut-off date and has pre-registered around 6,000 substances following the introduction of the directive in June 2007.
REACH (the EU's regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) will transform the European chemical industry and will have profound implications for global chemical markets. Under the terms of the legislation, all chemicals of one ton or more in volume manufactured in - or imported into - the EU each year must be tested for their effect on health and safety and be registered with the European Chemicals Agency.
"We have been working extremely hard to meet the deadline and will now turn our attention to the next registration deadline of December 2010," explained Dave Buckland, AkzoNobel's Corporate Regulatory Affairs Manager. "Obviously it's an enormous and very complex challenge, but it's also a business opportunity. One which will make an important contribution to the preservation of the environment and the quality of human life and we are determined to pay a full part in ensuring the success of the legislation."
As a result of REACH, some substances will inevitably be phased out of production or become uneconomical, while eco-efficient alternatives are likely to become more attractive.
AkzoNobel anticipates registering around 700 substances. This is a much smaller number than the total amount pre-registered by the company because monomers and re-imports require pre-registration, but not full registration.
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AkzoNobel is proud to be one of the world's leading industrial companies. Based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we make and supply a wide range of paints, coatings and specialty chemicals - pro forma 2007 revenue totaled €14.4 billion. In fact, we are the largest global paints and coatings company. As a major producer of specialty chemicals we supply industries worldwide with quality ingredients for life's essentials. We think about the future, but act in the present. We're passionate about introducing new ideas and developing sustainable answers for our customers. That's why our 60,000 employees - who are based in more than 80 countries - are committed to excellence and delivering Tomorrow's Answers Today(TM).
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