SMEs in the REACH Regulation
REACH Registration is compulsory for all manufacturers or importers of chemical substances in the European Union, regardless of the size of the company.
Nonetheless, if your company is part of one of the categories listed below, you are considered as an SME under the REACH Regulation and, therefore, are eligible to discounts on the ECHA fees.
Note: Both conditions (size and turnover) are required. In order to determine the status of an SME, data on the last two years before the application to Registration or the execution of the act subject to a fee are key.
REACH Registration costs
General costs
The REACH Registration process can be costly. Costs associated with Registration are divided into three categories:
- Data fees (Letter of Access, or LoA)
- Consultancy fees (Dossier)
- ECHA fees
For more information on the necessary budget for Registration, you can read our article on that matter.
What costs for SMEs?
SMEs having limited means, they can benefit from discounts on the ECHA fees.
As a matter of fact, so as to allow SMEs to register at affordable costs, different percentages of discounts have been assigned to the ECHA fees. Those percentages are granted by the European Commission according to the size of the structure and are divided as follows:
- 30% discount for medium-sized companies
- 60% discount for small companies
- 90% discount for micro companies
