ECHA ensures that EUGACHEM closes its database

News Alert

ECHA/NA/11/25
Media enquiries: ECHA Press

In June 2009, ECHA was made aware that the company Eugachem was selling information on pre-registrations submitted to the European Chemicals Agency. Following an action brought before the German courts ECHA determined that Eugachem obtained this information from another company that had pre-registered all EINECS listed substances on ECHA's REACH-IT database.

Helsinki, 14 June 2011 - ECHA considered Eugachem's use of this information as a breach of ECHA's copyrights in the REACH-IT database and the other company's transfer of this information to Eugachem as a breach of ECHA's terms and conditions of use of REACH-IT.

Eugachem has now agreed to discontinue the service and to destroy all data on pre-registered substances in its possession. The company that transferred the data to Eugachem has agreed to use the data that has been or will be taken from the REACH-IT database only within the scope of the "Terms and conditions of use and services of REACH-IT". It further agreed to no longer transfer such data to third parties, and to identify those pre-registrations which it actually needs for fulfilling its obligations under REACH. Its other pre-registrations will be deleted.

ECHA would like to remind companies of the terms and conditions of use of REACH-IT. In particular, the terms and conditions of use indicate that companies may only use REACH-IT with a view to meeting and/or ascertaining the legal commitments of the company/companies that they are representing under the REACH and CLP Regulations. The terms further permit ECHA to block the REACH-IT user account of the company acting in breach of these terms and conditions and ultimately seek legal redress against any party breaching of these terms.