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Reduced fees for SMEs under EU chemical legislation
Today the European Commission lowered the fees and charges that small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have to pay to register chemicals.
This step should help SMEs that produce or trade chemicals to remain
competitive during the current difficult market situation.
Depending on the size of the company, SMEs could benefit from
reductions from 35% to 95% in relation to standard registration fees, and from
25% to 90% in relation to standard fees for authorisation requests.
Registration makes companies responsible for the safe use of chemicals
under REACH, the EU’s chemicals legislation.It was recently identified by SMEs
as the most burdensome piece of EU legislation (IP/13/188), and a recent review
of REACH indicated it poses a disproportionate burden on SMEs, relative to
larger companies (IP/13/85).
European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, Commissioner for
Industry and Entrepreneurship, and JanezPotočnik, Commissioner for Environment
said:
"By reducing fees for SMEs affected by the REACH legislation, the
Commission is directly responding to their concerns.
We are working together towards EU chemical legislation that protects
health and the environment, as well helping European businesses to grow and to
create jobs."
Considerations in REACH fee changes
The amending regulation rebalances the fees and charges in such a way
that takes into account the costs of the EU’s Chemicals Agency but provides
further reductions for SMEs which have less capacity to absorb the costs of
REACH compliance than large companies.
Standard fees have also been updated in line with inflation.
Background
REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and
restriction of CHemicals.
The REACH Fee Regulation establishes the fees and charges that companies must
pay to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for registering chemicals or for
applying for an authorisation for the use of certain chemicals in the context of
the REACH regulation.
REACH objectives include a high level of protection of human health and
the environment, the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards
of substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal
market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation.