INTRODUCTION | LEGAL BACKGROUND | HISTORY OF THE LEGISLATION | BASIS OF REACH | EXEMPT MATERIALS | DEFINITIONS | PRE-REGISTRATION | SIEF FORMATION | SUBSTANCE SAMENESS | DATA EVALUATION | CONSIDERING NEW TESTING | THE EXPOSURE SCENARIO | RISK ASSESSMENT | COMMUNICATION |
REGISTRATION PROCESS | SPECIAL CASES | DOWNSTREAM USER OBLIGATIONS | AUTHORISATION AND RESTRICTION | AFTER REGISTRATION | ABBREVIATIONS

SIEF FORMATION - WORKING TOGETHER TO SAVE WORK

After pre-registration, those who had pre-registered had access to lists of other potential registrants to see who else had a potential interest in the same (or similar) substance; SIEF stands for ‘Substance Information Exchange Forum’ and this is its primary function – to facility data exchange.

Any pre-registrant can nominate themselves as a SIEF Formation Facilitator (SFF). The role of SIEF formation facilitator has no legal basis under REACH and if receiving a letter from an organisation claiming the right to be facilitator, their position as a future leader of the SIEF is not definitive. Those offering to be facilitator did just that - they took the initiative to help SIEF formation.

The motives of facilitators will differ; some large companies have a lot of commercial interest in driving the registration forwards and members of industry groups and pre-existing consortia will have expertise and experience to offer. There will also be consulting companies who have management skills and will already have in place mechanisms for recording time and charging for management services at commercial rates.

It you disagree with the appointment of an organisation offering to lead the SIEF and manage the affairs, even if they have ticked the facilitator box in pre-registration, you can object. SIEFs should be formed on consensus and not autocratically.

There are a number of on-line based systems and software management tools. Each of these need to be considered on their own merit and although you cannot be forced to sign up to any of these services, there may be a chance to save time and money