Netherlands OCNS Update

After the Netherlands OCNS contract was signed by Netherlands Ministry of Economical Affairs (State Supervision of Mines) and Cefas in July 2006 Cefas engaged with stakeholders and reviewed the existing Netherlands system with the objective of defining the method by which a single digital registration system for offshore chemicals in the Netherlands and United Kingdom could be achieved by 1 January 2007. As a result of this work Cefas prepared a report on the compatibility of the Netherlands and United Kingdom databases and draft protocols describing:

The structure of the Cefas OCNS team,
The completeness and correctness checks
The completion of the HOCNF,
The digital data model for the Cefas SQL server database

After further project team meeting on 15 September 2006 and 12 October 2006 the following methodology for combining the Netherlands and UK OCNS databases was agreed and initiated.

Netherlands State Supervision of Mines has contacted all chemical suppliers on the Netherlands database, during the month of October, to clarify which of their offshore chemicals should continue in commerce after 31 December 2006.

A list of offshore chemicals was supplied to Cefas on 7 November 2006.

The offshore chemicals that were not notified to Netherlands State Supervision of Mines in response to these written enquiries will expire on 31 December 2006 and therefore no longer be registered for the Netherlands coastal shelf.

All offshore chemicals that are notified to Netherlands State Supervision of Mines will be placed on a list of offshore chemicals to be included in the Netherlands OCNS after 31 December 2006.

All offshore chemicals on the United Kingdom database will be accepted for permitting request in the Netherlands after 31 December 2006. Their current UK expiry date will also be valid for the Netherlands and their current UK templates should be used to supply information for permitting in the Netherlands.

It is expected that the majority of chemicals on the new Netherlands State Supervision of Mines list will already be registered in the UK and therefore be fully registered for the Netherlands.

Cefas will divide those chemicals currently registered in only the Netherlands into two groups:

Group A: Those currently fully registered in the Netherlands with substance level data
Group B: Those currently either temporarily registered or fully registered with product level data

Cefas will arbitrarily assign expiry dates to the chemicals in these two groups.

Group A will receive expiry dates of up to 31 December 2007.
Group B will receive expiry dates of up to 30 June 2007.
Cefas will notify suppliers of these expiry dates in writing.

In order to maintain the registration of Group A and B offshore chemicals Cefas must receive a full HOCNF TEN weeks prior to their expiry date. On completion of the re-registration of these chemicals a new expiry date (up to 3 years) and appropriate template will be issued to the supplier. Full lists of offshore chemicals and their expiry dates that will be registered for the NL can be found by following this link.

All new offshore chemicals should be notified to Cefas with a full HOCNF. Providing all relevant information has been received, Cefas will complete registration of new offshore chemicals within 8 weeks of receipt of the HOCNF.

Suppliers must clearly state all countries in which the preparation is to be registered for use.

Cefas will apply their normal business rules to the administration of the Netherlands OCNS.