The 2020 GA meeting which normally takes place in May was postponed to November 4th due to the global pandemic. The November 4th meeting which was virtual saw 20 attendees and lasted an hour as most of the GA mandated task/decisions were addressed by way of votes prior to the meeting. Chaired by Interim Chairman Dr Bernd Friede, the meeting though brief was effective with some key decisions taken as follows:
Some highlights:
- Executive Committee: A new Executive team was endorsed with the 2nd Vice-Chairman becoming the Chairman and Secretary General maintained to ensure continuity
- Non-EU letter of Access Fees: Letter of Access fees and administration fees for non-EU REACH-Like regulations per substance, per legal entity for non-MARA members was established
- Members involvement in Non-EU regulations: MARA members wishing to register substances in non-EU REACH-like regulations will only pay administration fees as they own the data generated by MARA
- Technical update: Three dossiers updated this year lead to a new classification for manganese based UVCB’s
- 2020 Workplan and budget were ratified in Q1, 2020 via round robin votes.
Product Information Sheet (PIS)
IN ACCORDANCE WITH REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 a SDS is mandatory only for those substances that meet the following criteria (REACH Article 31): Classified as hazardous under the CLP Regulation (1272/2008/EC); or as dangerous under the Dangerous Substances Directive (67/548/EEC); or persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT); or very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB); or included in the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Candidate List of substances of very high concern.
Therefore, for those substances or preparations (alloys) not meeting the above criteria a SDS is not mandatory.
However, for products/special preparations/special mixtures/alloys not meeting the criteria for classification a Product Information Sheet (PIS) could be an important communication tool.