Braskem was one of the first Brazilian companies to make adaptations for the first phase of the European standard, called Reach (monogram for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals), which went into affect in June 2007 and demands the identification of all the substances that compose chemical products exported to the continent.

Within the regulation, written by the agency, the manufacturers are responsible for information about chemical substances put on the European market. The purpose is to guarantee that all chemical products, commercialized in the countries that compose the block, have all the information about environmental security and public health identified and tracked by the European community.
 
Braskem’s adaptation to the standard shows the company’s commitment with the European consumer market. "We could not let out clients go without supplies, thus we strongly worked to adapt ourselves to the standard in a record time, since we already have a complete inventory of all the substances that compose our products", explains Irlam Reis Aragão, Quality, Productivity, Health, Security and Environment manager and responsible for the project at Braskem.

One of the first actions was the assembly of a multidisciplinary team of professionals, which was responsible for the survey of all the substances contained in the products (resins and basic petrochemicals) commercialized by the company in the European market. This first survey took more than a year to be finalized and approved by the European commission responsible for the adaptation process for Braskem to continue exporting to the continent.

"We now entered the project’s second phase, which covers the detailing of toxicological, ecotoxicological, security and environmental impact information for each one of the substances pre-registered at ECHA. In this phase, the investments are estimated between 500 thousand and 3.5 million euros, since the detailed mapping can reach information about 6 thousand substances", says Aragão.

Besides this, Braskem will present the data in Substances Information Exchange Forums, the SIEFs, with the purpose of sharing information and reducing costs, besides saving time in the survey of data for new substances.

Europe is one of the main destinations of Braskem products abroad. In 2008, it demanded 29% of the company’s total exports, which in turn represented 22% of its net revenue. The European market is strategic for the company. In 2007, Braskem installed itself physically on the continent and inaugurated a commercial office in Rotterdam, in Holland, to serve the clients distributed throughout the continent. "With the opening of the office we are closer to our clients, which has been allowing us to enlarge our performance in the European consumer market", explains Edison Terra, Braskem Exports director.