European companies are failing to produce the legally required information on the chemicals they use and the watchdog that should be making them comply is not doing so, according to a study. A report from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and ClientEarth says the chemical industry has largely failed to provide the necessary data to make the REACH chemical safety law work, adding the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has allowed them to get away with it. The report says ECHA is shrouded in a culture of secrecy and is under pressure from the chemicals industry which cites ‘business confidentiality’ as a means to prevent important information being released.

EEB press release and report, Identifying the bottlenecks in REACH implementation – the role of ECHA in REACH’s failing implementation. ChemSec news report. The SIN list. Risks 579.