11 Jun
If you manufacture or import hazardous chemical mixtures into the EU, you’ve probably heard of Poison Centre Notifications.
But what if you’re outside the EU? Or what if you want to keep your formula confidential? This is where a voluntary PCN can help.
It’s a smart move for companies who want to support their EU customers without exposing their product secrets.
Here’s how it works.
What is a voluntary PCN?
It’s a Poison Centre Notification submitted even though you’re not legally required to.
Why would anyone do that?
Because it makes compliance easier for your customers, protects your proprietary data, and keeps your product flowing through EU markets.
This is especially useful for non-EU manufacturers working with EU importers.
When does it make sense?
A voluntary PCN is worth considering if:
- You’re based outside the EU and want to support your EU partners
- Your importers are overwhelmed with compliance
- You want to protect your full composition from being shared with every customer
Instead of sending full details to each importer, you submit a voluntary PCN once and give them a UFI. They use that UFI in their own submission. Simple.
What are the limits?
It’s useful, but not a free pass.
- You can’t print the voluntary UFI on the label
- Importers still have to do their own PCN submissions
- There’s an extra cost because it doesn’t replace the legal PCN
It supports your customers, but does not take their responsibility away.
Should you use it?
Ask yourself two questions:
- Do I want to protect my formulation?
- Do my customers need help with compliance?
If yes to both, a voluntary PCN is probably the right move.
If your importers are confident and already submitting on their own, it might not be necessary. You can do PCN notifications inside of Chemius.
Final thought
A voluntary PCN gives you control, flexibility, and peace of mind. If you are ready to work with PCNs and UFI codes inside of Chemius, send us email on support@chemius.net and we will organise you to have a one – week free trial.
In the next post, we’ll compare how importers and manufacturers each benefit from it, and how you can use that to your advantage.
