REACH continues to challenge industry says BCF

Costs of implementing REACH have already exceeded the €2.1bn estimate and the legislation has only just reached its half way point said Tom Bowtell, CEO of the British Coatings Federation (BCF).

"In addition to the costs of implementation, the costs associated with registering raw materials could possibly deter innovation at a time when this is vital for industry growth and this is a growing concern to the paint sector. With significant potential for raw materials to be withdrawn at short notice as we head towards the next deadline of June 2013, this investment in innovation can’t be underestimated.

"As we already know one of the existing side-effects of the current REACH implementations is the huge extended safety data sheets, the most extreme one I’ve seen reached 400 pages. Industry is trying to find practical ways of sifting this data, so as only to pass on information that is meaningful and to avoid overloading end-users. … The BCF is urging the industry to keep it simple and will be working with the supply chain over the next several months to ensure the transition to the next stage of REACH stays as simple as possible.”