Kemira prepares for the REACH regulation in Europe by setting up a Reach Competence Centre in connection with the company's Espoo Reseach Centre in Finland to start work at the beginning of the year 2006.
Ms Liisa Vahteristo, Ph.D. (food chemistry) has been appointed head of Kemira's Reach Competence Centre as of 1 February 2006. Liisa Vahteristo will join Kemira from her current position as Head of Unit at European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based in Italy. In addition, three product safety specialists from the company's Helsinki premises will be relocated to the new Competence Centre. Information services will be provided by the Espoo Research Centre, which also coordinates the patent and immaterial rights issues in the Group. Liisa Vahteristo, the head of the Reach Competence Centre, will report to Aarno Salminen, Vice President, Environment and Safety.
The core function of the new Competence Centre is to carry out centralized registration and authorization procedures of all the substances produced or imported by the company within the EU area, as required by REACH. The number of such substances currently exceeds one hundred, while the number of substances falling under the authorization regulations is limited. It is expected that bulk of the expert work will be carried out in the beginning of the forthcoming ten-year registration period, i.e between the years 2007 to 2010. Kemira's Reach Competence Centre will also assume responsibility for developing the company's product safety IT-tools up to the level required by REACH.
The REACH proposal has passed the European parliament's first reading, and the EU Competitiveness Council has also reached a political agreement on the regulation earlier this week. It is expected that the regulation will take effect in 2007 and the key coordinator will be the European Chemicals Agency which is to be established in Helsinki, Finland.
For further information:
Kemira Oyj
Aarno Salminen, Vice President, EHS
Tel. +358 (0) 10 862 1819
GSM +358 (0)50 548 1493