5. How confidentiality works in assessment certificate applications

Use this option if you want to:

• protect the chemical name
• protect the end use of the chemical.

Learn more about applications for protection of CBI

Applying to protect the chemical name and/or end use

To protect commercial business interests related to the information published about an introduction, applicants may apply to protect the chemical name and/or end use as confidential business information (CBI). These protections are not automatic. 

Key information

• This is the only way to request confidentiality for the chemical name and/or end use.
• You must submit a separate application at the same time as your assessment certificate application.
• A fee applies for each request.
• We assess applications against a statutory test.

When setting up your application, you’ll be asked whether you intend to apply for protection of the chemical name and/or end use. If you answer yes, a CBI tab displays for completion. 

If we approve an application, the published assessment statement will include:

• a masked chemical name (AICIS‑approved chemical name) instead of the actual chemical name, and/or
• a generalised end use (instead of the specific end use).

More information: How to apply for protection of CBI as part of your assessment certificate application.

Important reminder
You must apply at the same time as your assessment certificate application. If you later decide that you want CBI protection but did not apply initially, you will need to withdraw your assessment certificate application and resubmit it together with the CBI application.

Flagging other information as confidential

You can flag certain information to indicate that it is commercially sensitive or confidential. There is no fee to do this.

Flagging information lets us know your concerns about publication. If we intend to publish flagged information, we will contact you and give you the opportunity to apply to protect the information as confidential business information (a fee applies).

To flag information as confidential, look for the prompts in the IUCLID dossier and apply the flags before you complete the form.

You cannot flag information in your application as confidential after you have submitted your application. 

The following information cannot be flagged as confidential business information:
1.    physical and chemical data that do not reveal the chemical’s composition
2.    summaries of data relating to risks to human health or the environment.

You must flag information at the same time you submit the assessment certificate application.

Learn more about flagging information as confidential