WATERBURY, CT – MacDermid Enthone Industrial Solutions announced the company is actively supporting its customers in complying with the upcoming restrictions on chromium (VI) substances for use in decorative plating applications set by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

The European Union Commission has been mandated to develop an Annex XV dossier to fully ban chromium (VI) substances under REACH. It is recommended that companies begin their preparations now, ahead of the 2026 deadline. In response to the mandate, MacDermid Enthone issued a communication to customers and partners outlining the proposed timeline to assist applicators in planning for their transition from hexavalent chromium processes to chromium (VI) free technologies.

"The transition to REACH compliance will pose opportunities and challenges for the industry," says Bob Geissler, Vice President, Europe at MacDermid Enthone. "As a leader in sustainable solutions for surface finishing, MacDermid Enthone stands ready to partner with customers, delivering production-proven technological solutions to support applicators across Europe, and around the world, in a successful transition."

MacDermid Enthone communicated the following timeline to customers:

1. October 2023: Mandate to ECHA, requesting the development of Annex XV dossier with a view to restrict Cr(VI) substances under REACH
2. October 2024: ECHA to finalize Annex XV dossier, RAC and SEAC do the conformity check and develop their opinion
3. October 2025: RAC and SEAC finalize and adopt final opinions about dossier, restriction scope and derogations Then, three-month scrutiny period for EU Commission starts
4. February 2026: Scrutiny period is over for EU Commission to decide if the restriction proposal can be adopted by the Commission and Member States
5. End of 2026: Adoption of hexavalent chrome restriction by EU Commission - Restriction with temporary derogations will become effective (estimated, not confirmed), Hex-Chrome will no longer be authorized, with no individual exceptions

MacDermid Enthone offers a complete solution for REACH-compliant chromium electroplating of plastics. To learn more, visit industrial.macdermidenthone.com