REACH and independent tank storage
FETSA’s secretary general Hennie Standaar summarises its latest assesment of REACH and the effect of the regulation
Despite the mounting number of experts in various companies, institutions and associations, the overriding question about what the impact of REACH on tank storage may be remains difficult to answer. This may be caused by little understanding outside the business sector of what the tank storage industry is actually doing. The Federation of European Tank Storage Associations (FETSA), the voice for tank storage in Europe, has been digging deeper into this issue and assessing it from the specific vantage point of the independent tank storage operator.
For independent tank storage the formal legal roles and obligations under REACH are mainly non existent. However, all companies are strongly advised to check their individual positions using the navigator of the European Chemicals Agency or by approaching one of the 28 official national websites. Alternatively, some tank storage companies provide services such as fiscal representation for importers established outside the EU / EEA. This is an area where uncertainty still exists. In all cases the safest approach may be not to accept any product for storage without a proper REACH registration. REACH will change the storage sector’s business environment, and it may also change the requirements for handling products. To some however, REACH may provide a business opportunity.
