The Regulation becomes applicable on 1st September 2013. From that date onwards, companies will have two options to request permission to place their products on the market. The first, which is likely to be used by large firms, requires companies to submit an application to ECHA and if the product is judged safe, it may be sold throughout the EU. The second may appeal more to the numerous small and medium-sized enterprises in this business, as it requires companies to submit an application to their own national authority, to sell a product in their home country. If the authorisation is granted, they can subsequently put the product on the market of other Member States, according to the mutual recognition principle.

European Union