Measures for the Environmental Management of New Chemical Substances (MEANCS) (aka China REACH)
This 15 October 2010 regulation, MEP (Ministry of Environmental Protection) Order 7 is a revision of the 2003 China New Chemical Substance Notification (NCSN) legislation. Its complex notification requirements apply to companies wishing to place chemicals on the Chinese market. It is a REACH-style regulation which adopts several of the same concepts and principles found in EU REACH. It is often referred to as China REACH. However only new chemical substances are regulated as compared with EU REACH which regulates all chemicals. New chemicals are those other than the substances currently listed on the Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances in China (IECSC). Approximately 45,000 substances are listed in IECSC. Under MEP Order 7 companies must submit notifications to the Chemical Registration Centre (CRC) of MEP for new chemicals regardless of annual tonnage (EU REACH includes tonnage thresholds). Notification applies to a new substance on its own or in preparations or articles intended to be released. Notification is also required for new substances used as ingredients or intermediates for pharmaceuticals, pesticides, veterinary drugs, cosmetics, food additives and feed additives, etc. An NCSN must be submitted to obtain a registration certificate before a substance can be manufactured, imported or used in research or product development activities. All documentation must be in Chinese and only Chinese entities can submit an NCSN.