Draft guidance on REACH annex V published

New draft guidance from ECHAⁱ on Annex V of REACHⁱ (exemptions from registration) has been made available, together with an assessment of comments raised on the previous version released in June 2009. Of significance to the cement industry is the fact that the new draft guidance states that the exemption granted to “minerals which occurs in nature, if not chemically modified” will only apply to minerals that fulfil both conditions: (i) occurring in nature and (ii) not chemically modified. No changes have been made to the text with regards to cement clinker. Instead, the mineral phases of “Cement, portland, chemicals” and “Cement, alumina, chemicals” have been put in a table.

Petroleum coke used by cement plants is exempt from registration, along with the other two types of petcoke, coal tar and coal. However, if this latest draft version of the guidance is adopted, some minerals could lose their exemption from registration. The REACH Alliance is therefore preparing comments to this latest version and plans to initiate some lobbying actions towards the Commission and ECHA. CEMBUREAU is supporting the actions of the REACH Alliance.

The Draft Guidance can be found here:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/chemicals/reach/pdf/com_rev_anx_V_guidance_en.pdf