REACH
REACH is the acronym for Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals. REACH took effect on 1 June 2007 and is applicable across the whole industry chain. This new legislation replaces current EU legislation relating to chemical substances. The chemicals industry will be responsible for effecting good risk analyses of its products. (This applies to all chemical substances, including those that are imported.) REACH will be completely operational in 2018.
Objectives
The objectives of REACH are:
- To create higher awareness for the safe use of chemicals;
- To improve the protection of human health and the environment;
- To enhance the innovative capacity of EU industry, while maintaining its competitiveness.
Registration
The REACH legislation requires industry to register all existing and future new substances, produced or imported in volumes above 1 ton/year, to the new European CHemicals Agency (ECHA). About 30,000 substances will be subject to registration obligations. High Production Volume substances and substances of greatest concern need to be registered before 2010. The remaining substances need to be registered before 2018.
Evaluation
The evaluation of the data for a substance classified as dangerous above 100 tons/year and/or of high concern will be performed by competent authorities in the Member States. A possible outcome of the Evaluation phase is that additional information will be needed, or that the substance has to go through the Authorization phase, or even that the marketing or use of the substance will be restricted.
Authorization
Authorization will be required for each use of substances of very high concern. Companies applying for an authorization will have to demonstrate that they can adequately control the risks posed by the chemical substance and/or that the social and economic benefits of the substance outweigh the associated risks.
