According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website, several Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) guidance documents concerning nanomaterials have moved to the next step in the consultation process.  The draft recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to the guidance on quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) and grouping of chemicals was sent to the Competent Authorities for REACH and Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP) (CARACAL) on January 23, 2017.  The draft guidance is intended to provide an approach on how to justify the use of hazard data between nanoforms (and the non-nanoform(s)) and within groups of nanoforms of the same substance.  On January 31, 2017, the draft appendices on recommendations for nanomaterials for environmental endpoints were sent to CARACAL:

• Appendix R7-1 Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to Chapter R7a Endpoint specific guidance;

• Appendix R7-1 Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to Chapter R7b Endpoint specific guidance; and

• Appendix R7-2 Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to Chapter R7c Endpoint specific guidance.

Summaries of comments from earlier stages of the consultation process are available on ECHA’s website.