Discussion surrounding the anticipated European chemicals legislation – REACH, applicable to polymers such as PVC, has been “defused“ for the moment. Polymers will not be subject to the REACH process according to the stage of discussion at the present time.

Additives commonly used in the processing of synthetic materials, will still, however, be covered by the new legislation.

The effects of REACH were recently examined in a pilot project in Nordrhein-Westphalia., the findings of which have been collated by the VCI in “Chemie Report Spezial“ 1/2004, available on-line at  www.vci.de.