Directorates and units

Directorate A – Submissions and Interaction

 

Unit A1: Communications

Role

The Communications Unit ensures the coherent and balanced implementation of external and internal communications, contributing to the reputation of the Agency by sharing good communications practice and demonstrating independence and transparency.

Tasks

The Communications Unit:

  • Conveys and multiplies the Agency’s strategy and positioning to all stakeholders
  • Delivers professional communication activities that support all functions of the organisation
  • Manages, maintains and develops ECHA’s corporate communication channels and social media presence
  • Manages media and influencer relations, and media monitoring
  • Upholds ECHA’s corporate identity and supports employer branding
Unit A2: Support and Enforcement

Role

The Support and Enforcement Unit gives advice to companies on the Biocidal Products, Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) and REACH regulations. The unit helps companies correctly use IT tools to submit their dossiers and be compliant with ECHA’s processes. It also provides the Secretariat to the BPR, CLP and REACH helpdesks’ Network (HelpNet) and manages the Secretariat of the Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement to facilitate harmonised enforcement activities by national authorities throughout the EU/EEA.

Tasks

Regulatory Support Team:

  • Responds to questions from industry on the BPR, CLP and REACH regulations
  • Manages the Secretariat for the HelpNet (national BPR, CLP and REACH helpdesks’ network) for capacity building, facilitates EU-wide harmonisation of advice to industry, and publishes frequently asked questions (FAQs) by the HelpNet on ECHA’s website
  • Organises training for national helpdesks on ECHA processes

Information Desk:

  • Is the first line of contact to ECHA for telephone calls and external enquiries
  • Allocates the enquiries to the correct service at ECHA and responds to general enquiries
  • Acts as a central point for registering incoming email and postal mail
  • Coordinates the speaking requests process in-house

iTEX:

  • Provides expert advice to customers on the correct use of ECHA’s IT tools (REACH-IT, R4BP, IUCLID, ECHA Cloud, Chesar) and dissemination of data on ECHA’s website
  • Interacts with the outsourced Service Desk to resolve complex cases, identifies bugs and tests workarounds
  • Contributes to the development of the IT tools, involved in Change Advisory Boards and testing IT tool updates
  • Manages and updates IT-related Q&As

Forum Secretariat:

  • Plans, prepares, organises and drives the work of the Forum for Exchange of Information on Enforcement
  • Manages and contributes to enforcement projects and other activities of the Forum
  • Acts as ECHA's internal focal point for matters related to enforcement of REACH, CLP, PIC and the BPR
  • Oversees the functioning and further improvement of interlinks between ECHA and national enforcement authorities to ensure that inspectors follow-up ECHA decisions appropriately
Unit A3 - Submission and Processing

Role

The Submission and Processing Unit manages the receipt, processing and dispatch of all regulatory submissions for each legislation under ECHA's remit. This includes the responsibility for developing and maintaining related submission systems, in particular REACH-IT, ECHA Submission Portal and ePIC, as well as providing input to R4BP development. The unit gives advice and support to stakeholders in all aspects of dossier submission.

The unit also coordinates ECHA's work on the PIC Regulation.

Tasks

The Submission and Processing Unit:

  • Receives, processes, generates invoices and dispatches all dossiers received by ECHA
  • Manages the submission systems REACH-IT, ECHA Submission Portal and ePIC
  • Verifies the declared size of companies which have benefited from SME fee reductions under REACH
  • Organises and coordinates operational activities for implementing the PIC Regulation on export and import of dangerous chemicals, including the handling of import and export notifications, and explicit consents
  • Provides regulatory advice to all stakeholders (Commission, Member States, authorities in non-EU countries and industry) and supports the implementation of the Rotterdam Convention at worldwide level including supporting the Convention Secretariat, where necessary
  • Defines, implements and administers submission-related processes under biocides legislation
  • Coordinates ECHA’s work related to the submission of information on hazardous mixtures for emergency health advice by poison centres
  • Provides advice and support to stakeholders on dossier submission under REACH, CLP, BPR, PIC and the Waste Framework Directive (WFD), in the form of technical manuals, helpdesk support and other activities
Unit A4 - Data Availability

Role

The Data Availability Unit is responsible for verifying that the data industry submits to ECHA is complete so that it can serve its regulatory purposes. The unit also makes the information we receive on chemicals available on ECHA’s website, while ensuring that confidential information is not published. The unit carries out a broad range of activities to maintain the database of REACH registrations, from support on dossier preparation to revoking registration decisions. The unit also hosts and maintains the EU Observatory for Nanomaterials and the EU Chemicals Legislation Finder on behalf of the European Commission.

Tasks

The Data Availability Unit:

  • Manages the completeness check process of REACH registration and PPORD dossiers
  • Assesses confidentiality requests submitted in REACH registrations
  • Carries out activities to improve the compliance of the registration database, including dossier updates, joint submission support and revocation of registrations 
  • Is responsible for the product management of ECHA’s dissemination platform, which makes the data received under different regulations publicly available and provides transparency on the various regulatory processes run by ECHA
  • Ensures the product management of the IUCLID Validation assistant and the IUCLID Dissemination preview tools
  • Further develops and promotes IUCLID data validation and filtering methods for industry and authority use worldwide
  • Provides advice and support to stakeholders in its areas of expertise, in the form of guidance, technical manuals, helpdesk support and other communications activities
  • Is responsible for the product management and operations of the EU Chemicals Legislation Finder and the EU Observatory for Nanomaterials