In this interview with Hilal Sevinç, Deputy Director of Reach Global Services (RGS), we discussed the strategic importance of chemical regulations for the sector, particularly EU REACH and Türkiye's KKDİK. While Sevinç shared RGS's consulting experience spanning 69 countries, she also sheds light on the opportunities and risks that new regulations such as the Green Deal and CBAM present for Turkish chemical exporters.
Interview: B. Serhat Cengiz
In this interview with Hilal Sevinç, Deputy Director of Reach Global Services (RGS), we discussed the strategic importance of chemical regulations for the sector, particularly EU REACH and Türkiye's KKDİK. While Sevinç shared RGS's consulting experience spanning 69 countries, she also sheds light on the opportunities and risks that new regulations such as the Green Deal and CBAM present for Turkish chemical exporters.
Could you first introduce yourself and Reach Global Services (RGS) to our readers? Could you tell us about your founding story, your fields of activity, and the core services you provide to the chemical sector?
I have been working in the field of European Union and Türkiye chemical regulations for over 13 years. After completing my chemical engineering education, I obtained my MBA at Galatasaray Üniversitesi. Throughout my career, I have provided consultancy to international companies within the scope of REACH, KKDİK and other chemical regulations. Today, I serve as Deputy Director at the RGS Group of Companies.
Headquartered in Brussels, RGS provides professional consultancy services with many years of experience in the EU REACH Regulation, EU Cosmetics Regulation, and Turkish Chemical Regulations. Our company was established in 2008 through the initiative of the İstanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Association (İKMİB) to support Turkish producers, importers and exporters. This initiative provided a reliable and reassuring solution for our chemical exporters who were hesitant to share commercial, intellectual and industrial confidential information with foreign Only Representative consultancy firms for the purpose of REACH compliance.
As the RGS Group of Companies, with our expert and experienced team, we have been providing professional consultancy services on chemical regulatory compliance to more than 1,600 producers in 69 countries since 2008.
RGS provides services to the global chemical sector within the scope of the EU REACH Regulation and the Turkish KKDİK Regulation, including Only Representative services, SIEF/Consortium management, registration procedures, and preparation of Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and Chemical Safety Reports. In addition, outside the EU and Türkiye, RGS also provides consultancy support through reliable local partners within the scope of chemical regulations in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan.
RGS is a founding member of the Only Representative Organisation (ORO), a Europe-based Only Representatives association established in 2008, and also serves as a Board member. ORO is a non-profit European professional organization that sets service standards and professional guidelines for Only Representatives under REACH. In this capacity, ORO is among ECHA's consultative stakeholder organizations. RGS applies ORO's EU service standards to other global chemical regulations as well; most notably, it adopts the same quality and compliance approach in the services it provides regarding Türkiye's KKDİK and SEA regulations.
RGS provides consultancy in many chemical regulatory fields, most notably the EU REACH Regulation and Türkiye's KKDİK. What are the most common challenges companies have faced in their compliance processes in recent years?
One of the issues companies struggle with most in recent years is that regulations are becoming increasingly comprehensive and are constantly being updated. Particularly within the scope of REACH and KKDİK, data access, ensuring the flow of information across the supply chain, and managing registration processes completely require serious coordination. Many companies have to manage not only their own activities but also the compliance of their stakeholders across the global supply chain. This necessitates, in addition to technical expertise, strong project management and regulatory monitoring.
Regulatory compliance in chemical exports has become a factor that directly affects competitiveness. How do you assess the position of the Turkish chemical industry in the European Union market and its progress in terms of regulatory compliance?
First, let us underline this: compliance with REACH or KKDİK regulations is not an ordinary administrative formality (a chore). On the contrary, this compliance is a competitive tool in the international chemical market. To elaborate further, the EU continues to be one of the most important export markets for the Turkish chemical sector. Therefore, compliance with EU regulations has become not merely a legal requirement, but one of the fundamental conditions for market access and international competitiveness. We observe that the Turkish chemical industry has made significant progress on this matter in recent years. In particular, large and export-oriented companies are making serious investments in compliance with REACH and sector-specific regulations. However, due to sustainability targets and updates in chemical regulations, compliance processes need to be managed with a dynamic approach and without interruption. That said, we see a positive shift in companies' perspective on regulation. Compliance processes are now regarded not merely as activities carried out to pass inspections, but as a strategic element that increases customer trust, facilitates integration into the supply chain, and supports access to new markets. As RGS, we believe that the Turkish chemical sector has strong potential in this transformation process. With the right technical consultancy, effective project management, and a proactive compliance approach, companies can further increase their competitiveness in the European Union market and confidently adapt to changing regulations.
What new obligations and opportunities do new regulations such as the European Green Deal, CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), GPSR and similar frameworks bring for the sector? What preparations should companies be making starting today?
CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), GPSR (General Product Safety Regulation) and other new regulations put into effect within the scope of the European Green Deal implemented by the European Union present not only additional obligations for companies but also significant transformation opportunities. As RGS, we monitor all these regulations and have added the relevant services to our portfolio. Companies are now expected not only to ensure the safety of their products or compliance with chemical regulations, but also to measure their carbon footprints, make their supply chains more transparent, document their sustainability performance, and manage the product life cycle from a more comprehensive perspective. This requires compliance processes to be addressed together with their environmental, technical and commercial dimensions.
With GPSR, product safety, traceability, technical documentation and market surveillance issues gain greater importance; while CBAM makes it mandatory to report carbon emissions and manage carbon obligations that will become a cost factor over time. For this reason, companies need to be prepared today not only for current regulations but also for regulations that will come into force in the future. Our recommendation as RGS is that companies should plan their compliance processes not with a reactive approach, but in line with a strategic roadmap. Investments made today in areas such as regulatory monitoring, data management, supply chain analysis, carbon calculations and technical documentation will both reduce compliance costs in the future and strengthen competitive advantage in the European market.
What are the support areas that SME-scale chemical companies in particular need most in terms of compliance with regulations such as KKDİK, REACH and SEA? What advantages does the right consultancy service provide in this process?
One of the most important challenges for SMEs is managing access to technical information alongside limited human and time resources at the same time. Regulations such as REACH, KKDİK and SEA are not merely registration or notification processes; they require a holistic compliance process covering data management, supply chain communication, classification, labeling, safety data sheets, and continuous regulatory monitoring.
Since many SMEs in particular do not have a separate team responsible solely for regulations, carrying out these processes alongside daily administrative operations can create a significant burden. For this reason, companies need the most support in areas such as technical consultancy, regulatory interpretation, documentation management and project coordination.
The right consultancy service not only ensures that current obligations are fulfilled; it also contributes to the early identification of potential risks, optimization of costs, and more efficient management of processes. As RGS, our goal is not only to make our clients compliant companies, but to help them build sustainable compliance systems that can quickly adapt to changing regulations.
Based on RGS's international experience and the accumulated knowledge gained from projects carried out in different countries, what are the main trends you expect to come to the forefront in global chemical regulations in the coming period?
The most prominent trend on a global scale is that chemical regulations are increasingly transforming into a more integrated, digital and sustainability-focused structure. Now, not only the safety of the chemical but also the product's life cycle, carbon footprint, circular economy principles and supply chain transparency are becoming an important part of regulations.
Although the European Union is at the forefront of this transformation, we see that similar approaches are becoming widespread in many countries. Digital product passports, more comprehensive restrictions on certain substance groups such as PFAS, microplastics, sustainable product design, and new requirements for data sharing will be among the most important agenda items for the sector in the coming period. Our experience gained from international projects shows us that the companies that will succeed in the future will not only be those that comply with regulatory changes, but those that anticipate these changes in advance and integrate them into their business processes.
Finally, what message would you like to convey to chemical industrialists and sector professionals through Turkchem Chemical Industry Magazine? What issues do you recommend companies prioritize for sustainable growth and success in international markets in the coming period?
The chemical sector is one of the sectors experiencing the fastest global transformation. For this reason, we believe that companies should regard regulations not merely as obligations to be fulfilled, but as strategic tools that support innovation, sustainability and international competitiveness. The companies that will achieve success in the coming period will be those that plan regulatory compliance at an early stage, invest in digitalization, integrate sustainability goals into their business strategies, and make their supply chains more transparent. Acting proactively is more important than ever, especially for companies operating in or targeting the European Union market.
Our message to all sector stakeholders through Turkchem Chemical Industry Magazine is that they should regard change not as a cost risk, but as a transformation process that will create new opportunities. We believe that with the right knowledge, the right collaborations and a long-term perspective, the Turkish chemical sector will further strengthen its position in global markets.
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