Echa’s Enforcement Forum is preparing several guidance documents and tools, to help national enforcement authorities and companies assess whether articles comply with REACH substance restrictions, including an overview of analytical methods and explanation for results. The disparity in results caused by different test methods can be therefore reduced.

Lack of officially recognised test methods, different laboratories adopt various analytical and sampling methods, leading to a wide disparity in test results. So Echa plans to publish the first edition of a compendium of analytical methods by the end of the year. The compendium will include 138 recommended methods for 41 restriction entries, and that the forum will invite interested parties to submit additional information for future editions.

The forum is also developing guidance on the interpretation of analysis results , which is expected to be published in 2017. This will be on the lessons learned from next year’s Ref-4 coordinated enforcement project on restrictions.

Meanwhile, the European Standards Organisation (CEN) will develop analytical methods for determining the lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content, and migration levels, in consumer articles and for chromium compounds in leather goods.

Reminder: Companies should test products as per the designated test methods while exporting them to the European Union, otherwise the test report may not be recognised.