Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

[X1 CHAPTER 2 U.K. Substance evaluation

Article 44 U.K. Criteria for substance evaluation

1. In order to ensure a harmonised approach, the Agency shall in cooperation with the Member States develop criteria for prioritising substances with a view to further evaluation. Prioritisation shall be on a risk-based approach. The criteria shall consider:

(a) hazard information, for instance structural similarity of the substance with known substances of concern or with substances which are persistent and liable to bio-accumulate, suggesting that the substance or one or more of its transformation products has properties of concern or is persistent and liable to bio-accumulate;

(b) exposure information;

(c) tonnage, including aggregated tonnage from the registrations submitted by several registrants.

2. The Agency shall use the criteria in paragraph 1 for the purpose of compiling a draft Community rolling action plan which shall cover a period of three years and shall specify substances to be evaluated each year. Substances shall be included if there are grounds for considering (either on the basis of a dossier evaluation carried out by the Agency or on the basis of any other appropriate source, including information in the registration dossier) that a given substance constitutes a risk to human health or the environment. The Agency shall submit the first draft rolling action plan to the Member States by 1 December 2011 . The Agency shall submit draft annual updates to the rolling action plan to the Member States by 28 February each year.

The Agency shall adopt the final Community rolling action plan on the basis of an opinion from the Member State Committee set up under Article 76(1)(e) (hereinafter referred to as the Member State Committee) and shall publish the plan on its website, identifying the Member State who will carry out the evaluation of the substances listed therein as determined according to Article 45.

Article 45 U.K. Competent authority

1. The Agency shall be responsible for coordinating the substance evaluation process and ensuring that substances on the Community rolling action plan are evaluated. In doing so, the Agency shall rely on the competent authorities of Member States. In carrying out an evaluation of a substance, the competent authorities may appoint another body to act on their behalf.

2. A Member State may choose (a) substance(s) from the draft Community rolling action plan, with the aim of becoming a competent authority for the purposes of Articles 46, 47 and 48. In the event of a substance from the draft Community rolling action plan not being chosen by any Member State, the Agency shall ensure that the substance is evaluated.

3. In cases where two or more Member States have expressed an interest in evaluating the same substance and they cannot agree who should be the competent authority, the competent authority for the purposes of Articles 46, 47 and 48 shall be determined in accordance with the following procedure.

The Agency shall refer the matter to the Member State Committee, in order to agree which authority shall be the competent authority, taking into account the Member State in which the manufacturer(s) or importer(s) is located, the respective proportions of total Community gross domestic product, the number of substances already being evaluated by a Member State and the expertise available.

If, within 60 days of the referral, the Member State Committee reaches unanimous agreement, the Member States concerned shall adopt substances for evaluation accordingly.

If the Member State Committee fails to reach a unanimous agreement, the Agency shall submit the conflicting opinions to the Commission, which shall decide which authority shall be the competent authority, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3), and the Member States concerned shall adopt substances for evaluation accordingly.

4. The competent authority identified in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 shall evaluate the allocated substances in accordance with this Chapter.

5. A Member State may notify the Agency at any time of a substance not on the Community rolling action plan, whenever it is in possession of information which suggests that the substance is a priority for evaluation. The Agency shall decide whether to add this substance to the Community rolling action plan on the basis of an opinion from the Member State Committee. If the substance is added to the Community rolling action plan, the proposing Member State, or another Member State who agrees, shall evaluate that substance.

Article 46 U.K. Requests for further information and check of information submitted

1. If the competent authority considers that further information is required, including, if appropriate, information not required in Annexes VII to X, it shall prepare a draft decision, stating reasons, requiring the registrant(s) to submit the further information and setting a deadline for its submission. A draft decision shall be prepared within 12 months of the publication of the Community rolling action plan on the Agency's website for substances to be evaluated that year. The decision shall be taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 50 and 52.

2. The registrant shall submit the information required to the Agency by the deadline set.

3. The competent authority shall examine any information submitted, and shall draft any appropriate decisions in accordance with this Article, if necessary, within 12 months of the information being submitted.

4. The competent authority shall finish its evaluation activities within 12 months of the start of the evaluation of the substance or within 12 months of the information being submitted under paragraph 2, and notify the Agency accordingly. If this deadline is exceeded, the evaluation shall be deemed to be finished.

Article 47 U.K. Coherence with other activities

1. An evaluation of a substance shall be based on all relevant information submitted on that particular substance and on any previous evaluation under this Title. Where information on intrinsic properties of a substance has been generated by reference to structurally related substance(s), the evaluation may also cover these related substances. In cases where a decision on an evaluation has been previously taken in accordance with Article 51 or Article 52, any draft decision requiring further information under Article 46 may be justified only by a change of circumstances or acquired knowledge.

2. In order to ensure a harmonised approach to requests for further information, the Agency shall monitor draft decisions under Article 46 and shall develop criteria and priorities. Where appropriate, implementing measures shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(3).

Article 48 U.K. Follow-up to substance evaluation

Once the substance evaluation has been completed, the competent authority shall consider how to use the information obtained from this evaluation for the purposes of Article 59(3), Article 69(4) and Article 115(1). The competent authority shall inform the Agency of its conclusions as to whether or how to use the information obtained. The Agency shall in turn inform the Commission, the registrant and the competent authorities of the other Member States.]

Editorial Information

X1 Substituted by Corrigendum to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (Official Journal of the European Union L 396 of 30 December 2006).