One primary goal of EU REACH regulation is to strengthen and facilitate innovation. Hence, it sets the tune of serving positive effect towards company’s research and development of new chemical substance. In practice, PPORD substance, whether manufactured or imported above 1 ton per annum, enjoys exemption for EU REACH registration. Nevertheless, the duration of exemptions go no more than 5 years, which means only when there are solid evidence proving the necessity for extension of exemption, can the company be available to apply for PPORD substance exemption extension.

According to ECHA, companies who submitted PPORD notifications and were therefore approved of first 5-year REACH registration exemption must submit applications of exemption extension 4 months before the deadline in this June, if they still wish to keep their PPORD substances in exemption after that. This arrangement is in consideration of time which ECHA must have to reserve enough in handling applications companies submit in case that any PPORD substance exemption should be interrupted.

From February 25, notifers of PPORD substance may update their PPORD substance IUCLID dossiers via REACH-IT in order to submit to ECHA applications for the extension of REACH registration timeline of PPORD substance. At the same time, companies must also submit to ECHA written documents of their research and development project as evidence to justify the eligibility for their applications of exemption extension.

ECHA has already posted relevant supportive document on its website in assisting companies in application of exemption extension.