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| # Hel | 13.4.2007                   |   |                            |
| sinki |                             |   |                            |
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| # Our |                             |   |                            |
|  ref. |                             |   |                            |
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| # Su  | REACH COMMUNICATION         |   |                            |
| bject | STRATEGY, DOC. CWG/9/2007   |   |                            |
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The Commission has invited the Member States to report to the Commission
their REACH communication activities to companies, in particular small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and other stakeholders, by the
15^th^ of April 2007. The Finnish competent authorities, National
Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health (STTV) and the Finnish
Environment Institute (SYKE), would like to state the following.

Based on the Finnish Chemical Programme of 2006, an implementation
programme for REACH has been established. This programme includes
preparation of legislation for national implementation, a communication
programme, training planning and a plan to establish the national
helpdesk. The coordinator of the programme is the Ministry of Social
Affairs and Health and the Advisory Committee on Chemicals.

An integral part of the communication programme is an information web
portal which gives general information on REACH
([www.reachinfo.fi](http://www.reachinfo.fi/)). On the web page there
has already been publicly available information brochure about REACH and
two Powerpoint presentations that have been compiled with the aim to be
used for training purposes. There is an e-learning tool under
preparation to be added on the page, too.

National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health and Finnish
Environment Institute, who have been appointed as competent authorities
in Finland, are currently preparing the national REACH helpdesk to start
its official work by the 1^st^ of June 2007. The helpdesk will have web
pages with detailed information on REACH, as well as a service for
submitting questions via this page.

The competent authorities have already dedicated e-mail addresses
(<reach@sttv.fi> and [reach@ymparisto.fi]{.underline}) to receive any
questions that companies or any other interested parties might have
concerning REACH.

Already in 2006, a general brochure about REACH was published both in
Finnish and in Swedish. The brochure was widely distributed to the
industry via industry associations, regional organisations, authorities
etc. The content is currently under revision in order to make it
consistent with the final REACH text. The current version is attached as
a pdf-file.

Finnish authorities have also started a REACH training programme
together with the Employment and Economic Development Centres. The
centres are coordinated by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and there
are 15 regional offices which advice and provide training to SMEs. The
centres are organizing training occasions to SMEs to raise their
awareness of REACH. The competent authorities have offered speakers to
these courses as a pool of experts.

In the near future, additional material will be made publicly available
concerning the following subjects: 1) What is REACH? and 2) What REACH
means to my company? Production of learning material for companies
during 2007 is already being planned. A pdf-format presentation is
attached to serve as an example.

The competent authorities responsible for REACH enforcement in Finland
organise actively REACH training for their own personnel. The experts of
authorities share information by giving presentations on current topics
and developments concerning e.g. RIP projects and plan advanced REACH
training courses organized by well established training organizations
aimed to deepen the understanding what REACH means on the level of
practical implementation.

Katariina Rautalahti Kaija Kallio-Mannila

Head of Department Division Manager

Chemicals Department Chemicals Division

National Product Control Agency Finnish Environment Institute\
for Welfare and Health (STTV) (SYKE)

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