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1.REACH – EU regulation with industry-wide implications

Since June 1, 2007 the new EU chemicals legislation no 1907/2006 is in force. It is a system for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, in short “REACH”.

REACH contains the following rules:

	1.	Manufacturers of substances, importers of substances, and importers or of mixtures and preparations of substances into the European Community (EU) are required to register these substances at the European Chemicals Agency (EChA) starting June 1, 2008, if more than 1 ton/year of the substances are produced or imported, and if the substances are not exempt from registration. So called “phase-in-substances”, for example substances contained in the EINECS list of existing substances, may be pre-registered from June 1, 2008 up to December 1, 2008. Pre-registered substances can be registered later. The deadline for registrations depends on the production or import quantity.
	2.	Suppliers of substances and preparations have to provide an extended MSDS (material safety data sheet) or a safety information sheet to its customers.
	3.	In order to facilitate a safe use, suppliers and importers of products containing more than 0.1 weight-% of a substance listed in the „candidates list“ have to provide adequate information on request – at least the name of the substance – to professional customers as well as to users. If the quantity of a substance contained in these products exceeds 1 ton/year, information to the European Chemicals Agency has to be given, earliest on June 1, 2011.
	4.	Users of chemicals (substances and preparations), so called downstream users (DU), have additional duties under REACH starting on June 1, 2008, as soon as extended MSDS’ are available.  Downstream users may support manufacturers by providing useful information for the registration of substances and preparations.

This regulation affects the whole supply chain within the electronics industry. While chemical substances and preparations have to be registered by producers and importers, all other involved parties have the duty to provide information for their customers.

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2. SCHURTER’s strategy

SCHURTER attended to REACH and its implications since 2007. As downstream user, SCHURTER does produce and sell exclusively non-chemical products. In addition, no substances are released under normal and reasonably foreseeable terms of uses. Thus, SCHURTER does not register any substances and preparations. Furthermore, SCHURTER has no obligation under REACH to provide material safety data sheets or safety information sheets for its products.

As of January 2009, the “candidates list” contains 18 substances, which are classified by EChA as critical. REACH does not prohibit the use of these substances, but requires producers to make information about their use available. If a SCHURTER product contains one of these substances in concentrations exceeding 0.1 weight-%, SCHURTER provides information to its customers concerning contained substances and terms of use.

SCHURTER evaluates continuously, and in cooperation with its suppliers, whether SCHURTER products contain substances listed in the „candidates list“. In addition to providing substance-related information, SCHURTER is striving to substitute these substances with less critical alternatives.

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3.SCHURTER’s status concerning REACH

The „candidates list“ is established and lists 18 substances classified as critical. According to our current state of knowledge, our products do not contain substances in amounts greater that 0.1 weight-% that are part of the „candidates list“, except for products with components based on PVC. PVC contains the plasticizer Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP) in amounts exceeding 0.1weight-%. Additional information covering the use of DEHP in SCHURTER products is available.

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4. Ancillary information and links

European Chemicals Agency http://echa.europa.eu/

Candidate List http://echa.europa.eu/chem_data/candidate_list_table_en.asp

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5. Contact

For additional information related to environmental protection as well as material restrictions and usage, please contact our Quality, Environment and Safety Manager (reach@schurter.ch) or your regional sales contact.

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