Bangalore, Mar 28 (KNN) The European Commission has lowered the fees and charges that small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have to pay to register chemicals. The move should help SMEs that produce or trade chemicals to remain competitive during the current difficult market situation.

Depending on the size of the company, SMEs could benefit from reductions ranging from 35 per cent to 95 per cent in relation to standard registration fees, and from 25 per cent to 90 per cent in relation to standard fees for authorisation requests.

Registration makes companies responsible for the safe use of chemicals under REACH, the EU’s chemicals legislation. It was recently identified by SMEs as the most burdensome piece of EU legislation (IP/13/188), and a recent review of REACH indicated it posed a disproportionate burden on SMEs, relative to larger companies (IP/13/85).

“By reducing fees for SMEs affected by the REACH legislation, the Commission is directly responding to their concerns.  We are working together towards EU chemical legislation that protects health and the environment, as well helping European businesses to grow and to create jobs,” said Antonio Tajani, Vice-President, Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship, European Commission. (KNN)