Following the receipt of a joint application for authorization from 13 co-applicants for the use of Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has opened a public consultation.
The Agency is inviting contributions on feasible alternatives to the uses applied for authorization and the consultation closes on July 9, 2014.
The ECHA Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-economic Analysis (SEAC) will review and consider the comments in their opinion-making process, and then based on their final opinions, the European Commission will decide whether or not to grant the applicants an authorization for the uses applied for.
The applicants are applying to use HBCDD in the following situations:
- Formulation of flame retarded expanded polystyrene (EPS) to solid unexpanded pellets using hexabromocyclododecane as the flame retardant additive (for onward use in building applications)
- Manufacture of flame retarded expanded polystyrene (EPS) articles for use in building applications
- Further information on the uses applied for is available on ECHA's website
Substances that are subject to authorization under REACH may not be manufactured or used in the EU unless the specific use has been authorized to a company that applies for authorization and has been authorized to do so. Authorization can be extended to an immediate supplier and to downstream users who source the chemical from this company. Note that authorization does not apply to substances in articles.
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