NORRES information on the new REACH regulation
Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 (REACH regulation), SVHC Candidate List

The new EU regulation 1907/2006/EC (REACH) concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals entered into force on June 1, 2007. As a manufacturer of products, our status in the supply chain is that of a ?downstream user?. Since NORRES is not required to pre-register for this reason, we have spent the last few months asking our suppliers about their respective pre-registrations and/or their plans to pre-register. To date, the continued availability of the relevant raw materials has been confirmed by all our suppliers, so that our ability to fulfil our supply obligations is guaranteed in the medium term.

On September 1, 2008 Candidate List of substances of very high concern (SVHC) in products was published by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in the framework of REACH. In future, these substances must not exceed a concentration of 0.1 percent by weight.

NORRES confirms herewith that the hazardous substances specified in the SVHC Candidate List are not used in the following products in concentrations exceeding 0.1%, either in the raw materials received from our suppliers or in our own production process. We therefore do not anticipate finding these substances in our products. The products concerned are:

All products in the PROTAPE^® PUR, PUR special hose, AIRDUC^® PUR, TIMBERDUC^® PUR, NORFLEX^® PUR, BARDUC^® PUR and WELLFLEX^® PUR groups (..0000, ..1001 and ..1003 types) as well as the 101, 103, 170, 171, 174, 176, 212, 216, 240, 250, 326, 363, 375, 390 and 391 product groups (standard types).

Our PVC hoses:
PROTAPE^® PVC, AIRDUC^® PVC, NORPLAST^® PVC 384, 384 CU, 388, NORPLAST^® and PUR 387 as well as the 102, 110 and 111 product groups

contain the substance Bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), EC 204-211-0, CAS 117-87-7, which is mentioned in the SVHC Candidate List (issued October 28, 2008), in a concentration of more than 0.1%.

DEHP and REACH*:

Unsurprisingly, DEHP was included in the EU?s SVHC Candidate List based on its risk assessment. ECHA published a draft recommendation on the prioritisation of DEHP on January 14, 2009. Assuming the ECHA recommendation is approved by the European Commission, industrial companies will be able to apply for authorisation to use DEHP up until around mid-2012. Manufacturers and users who fail to submit an application for authorisation by this date will only be allowed to use the substance until approximately the end of 2013.

DEHP users need have no concerns about the future use of DEHP. Furthermore, DEHP manufacturers are determined to meet the regulatory requirements in order to guarantee DEHP?s continued availability beyond 2013.

EU risk assessment report on DEHP*:

The European Union has confirmed that DEHP poses no general risk to human health. The summary of a comprehensive European risk assessment, involving nearly fifteen years of extensive scientific evaluation by EU regulators, was published on February 7, 2008.
The assessment demonstrates that DEHP poses no risk to the general population and that no further measures need to be taken to manage the substance in any of its key end-use applications. This confirms an earlier opinion of member state experts and an opinion from the EU Scientific Committee for Toxicity, Ecotoxicity and the Environment (CSTEE) adopted in 2004.

* Source: http://www.dehp-facts.com

This information is based on our current state of knowledge and experience. It describes the product at the time of leaving our company (data subject to change without notice).

Have you any questions about REACH? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us on +49 (0)209-80000-0.

March 2009, NORRES Schlauchtechnik GmbH & Co. KG