DOC to address new EU environmental, safety regulations and one-day conference

PHILADELPHIA, February 6, 2007 -- The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), Philadelphia U.S. Export Assistance Center (USEAC), MidAtlantic District Export Council (DEC) and BDP International, a global logistics firm specializing in the chemical industry, will host a conference on new environmental and safety regulations for exporting chemicals and products containing chemicals to the 25 member states of the European Union.   The new policy, which is expected to go into effect on June 1, will impact a broad spectrum of U.S. companies and industry sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, cosmetics, cleaning products and many others.  Significantly, chemicals and related products are the leading export for both Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Designed to educate exporters and trade specialists in the tri-state area (Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey) about this key policy and compliance with it, the conference is scheduled for March 1, 2007, 8:30 a.m. - 12 noon, at the Marriott Courtyard, 21 Juniper Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Featured speakers include Commercial Specialist Flavie Guerin of CS Brussels, who will also be available to meet personally with attendees after the morning program.  Also speaking will be market access and compliance experts from USEAC's European office, as well as EU compliance attorneys from Allen & Overy LLC.

Approved in December of last year, the EU's new REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) system will regulate the import, manufacture, marketing, and use of chemicals and will affect a wide range of products, from electronics to apparel.

The European Commission indicated the REACH system will require some 30,000 chemicals currently on the market to be registered with a new European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) over an 11-year period.

The registration process will help regulatory authorities "fill information gaps on the hazards of substances and...identify appropriate risk management measure to ensure their safe use," according to a statement issued by the commission.  The REACH program also calls for additional evaluation of substances deemed to pose an elevated risk, as well as substitution of less-hazardous alternatives to an estimated 1,600 substances considered to be harmful to human health or the environment.

The $95 registration fee includes a continental breakfast, all presentations, and one-on-one sessions with speakers.  Registration can be completed online at www.bdpinternational.com.

 

About BDP
BDP International is one of the leading privately held freight logistics/transportation management firms based in the U.S.  It operates freight logistics centers in more than 20 cities throughout North America and a network of subsidiaries, joint ventures and strategic partnerships in over 115 countries.  The company and its subsidiaries serve more than 4,000 customers worldwide. Clients include Bayer, Cargill, Conoco Phillips, DuPont, Heineken USA, Honeywell, Johnson & Johnson, Marks & Spencer, Revlon, Rohm & Haas, Trek Bicycle, Wacker and others.  BDP provides a range of services, including sea, air and ground transportation; lead logistics process analysis, design and management; export freight forwarding; import customs brokerage and regulatory/security compliance; project logistics; warehousing/consolidation/distribution; and Internet shipping transaction and tracking management systems.  For more information visit: www.bdpinternational.com.