ECHA encourages all SME registrants to check their company size

On 30 August 2023, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) encouraged all registrants of micro, small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) to check if their company size was registered correctly in REACH-IT when their substance was registered. The deadline for reporting the correct company size is 25 September 2023. By declaring and correcting the company size before the deadline only the difference to the correct registration fee has to be paid.

How to declare company size

If a company size has been reported incorrectly, ECHA must be informed at sme‑verification@echa.europa.eu. Information on how to determine and declare the company size correctly can be found here. Furthermore, documentation supporting the claim must be uploaded in REACH-IT. If the correct company size is declared before ECHA starts a verification only the difference to the correct registration fee has to be paid.

Verification of company sizes

ECHA is continually launching new verifications of the SME company sizes declared when registering with REACH. If it is discovered during such a verification that the company size was declared incorrectly, an administrative charge of up to EUR 19 900 as well as the difference to the correct registration fee must be paid.

Determination of company size category

To determine the company size category for an SME the headcount and financial figures have to be established. Instructions can be found here. The table below gives the ceilings for the headcount and the financial limits that determine if a company can be considered a micro, small or medium-sized enterprise.