Will Minerals Reach Europe?

The pre-registration deadline for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) legislation passed on 1 December 2008. Not pre-registering means companies will not be allowed to produce or import the minerals or materials that are not pre-registered with REACH. The EU is keen to enforce REACH, a series of measures to protect human health and the environment, but penalties for non-compliance is currently on unresolved issues. The Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement met 2-4 December 2008 in Helsinki, and discussed the enforcement of REACH, but not all Member States could finalise penalty legislation.