The new Turkish Chemicals Management Regulation may be Turkey’s first step towards a closer relationship with the EU, as it closely resembles the recently enacted EU REACH Regulation that has recently caused a stir in compliance circles. The Turkish act was officially adopted on January 1 2009 and, similar to REACH, will set up a chemical inventory composed of information regarding new and existing chemical substances manufactured or imported in Turkey. It will also aim to eventually reduce the risk posed by these substances.
Similar to other legislation recently drafted around the world, the Turkish regulation requires the obligation to notify the inventory of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on all existing and new substances, on their own or in substances, manufactured or imported in Turkey in quantities exceeding 1 ton per year. As with REACH, these reporting requirements vary depending on the amounts used. The Turkish government can also require additional information reporting. The notifier also has the obligation to update the government should the use case of a chemical change subsequent to the initial notification.
In another similarity with REACH, the Turkish Regulation establishes a priority list for substances that have been deemed potentially harmful to humans or the environment. Substances in this category will undergo special scrutiny, and may be subject to additional.
