On the occasion of the Steering Board in National Armaments Directors formation EDA launched a web-portal which provides information on national policies and procedures concerning exemptions from REACH obligations in the interest of Defence.
REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of CHemicals. This EU Regulation imposes obligations on producers or importers but also users of chemicals, which includes the defence sector. Taking into account the specificities of this sector, the REACH Regulation leaves it to the Member States to grant national security-related defence exemptions.
The REACH Portal allows Member States, European citizens and industry to have access to information on national policies and and procedures for granting defence exemptions to the Regulation.
“The main purpose of the EDA’s REACH initiative complementing the Commission’s efforts in the area of REACH is to provide for basic transparency. This is a major step forward in our efforts to align and harmonise national policies in the area of defence at European level” said the Agency’s Industry & Market Director, Mr.Arturo Alfonso-Meiriño. He also state that “the constant interaction and co-operation with the European Commission was crucial for the success of this initiative”.