1. COTANCE Round Table “The REACh Challenge & Innovation in the European Leather Industry” European Leather Industry Preparedness for REACh Filipe Crispim GERIC / CTIC October 2008

2. 1. Pre-registration At this stage, tanners are developing the following steps: -Pressuring EU chemicals suppliers in order to give guarantees regarding substances registration according to REACh; -Proceeding to pre-registration of substances present in chemical products imported from outside EU.

3. 1. Pre-registration Main chemicals directly imported from outside EU by European tanneries: - Basic chromium sulphate – mainly from Turkey; - Vegetable extracts – mainly from Argentina (Quebracho) and Brasil (Mimosa); - Dyes, which usually don’t exceed 1 tonne per year.

4. 2. Imported hides, skins and leather Wet-Blue and Crust imported from outside EU is increasing day by day. Several companies are abandoning beamhouse stages and starting the industrial process from wet-blue and crust from outside EU origin, where the use of substances like the following are not restricted: - Azodyes; - Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCP’s); - Nonylphenol and nonylphenol ethoxylate. A more exigent control of this raw materials has to be implemented.

5. 3. Convergence of REACh and market REACh could be a driving force impelling tanners to search for technological alternatives which correspond to the market tendency. Market recent evolution: Chrome tanning Wet-white (eco-tanning) Aluminium, zirconium, …; Glutaraldehyde; Syntans; Other polymers Natural tanning (vegetable extracts and other natural polymers) Registration exemption

6. 4. Innovation / R&D Innovation R&D Leather Technological Centers Chemical Suppliers Tanneries

7. 5. Tanneries weak and strong points Weak points: Many companies of low dimension; Forced new European tanning industry structure – increasing of wet-blue and crust imports; Chromium sulphate imports; Distance to chemicals suppliers – peripheral countries Strong points: An industry of high specialities consumption; Market tendencies are compatible with REACh philosophy.