News Details
EU Drafts REACH Fee Regulation Update with New SME Verification Rules
The European Commission has published a draft amendment to Regulation (EC) No 340/2008, proposing a 19.5% increase in standard fees and charges payable to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) under the REACH Regulation. The adjustment reflects cumulative inflation from 2021 to 2023.
To safeguard small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the proposed inflation-linked increase will not apply to SMEs, in line with the EU’s SME Relief Package and the 2024–2029 Political Guidelines.
New Pre-Submission SME Verification Required
A major change concerns the SME status verification process. Under the draft regulation:
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Companies must apply for SME recognition at least two months before any fee-related submission.
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ECHA must decide on SME status within two months of receiving complete documentation.
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Recognised SME status will be valid for three years and apply to all relevant EU submissions during that period.
ECHA May Charge for SME Verification Workload
To improve efficiency, ECHA may introduce an administrative charge for SME verification, which will be waived if SME status is confirmed. The new SME provisions will take effect 15 months after the regulation enters into force. Submissions pending at the time of entry into force will not be affected.
This draft amendment forms part of the EU’s broader efforts to enhance the financial sustainability of ECHA, following a drop in fee revenue after the 2018 REACH registration deadline.
We acknowledge that the above information has been compiled from European Commission.
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