Number: Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006

Official name:
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)

Description:
REACH Representative:

registered: Chemical manufacturers must register safety data for all chemicals they produce.

assessment: Experts from member states and European institutions evaluate safety data on a large number of chemicals and other chemicals of concern.

authorized: Chemicals of “high concern” will be phased out and replaced with safer alternative chemicals.

chemical restrictions: Chemicals may be completely banned, or certain uses of chemicals may be restricted.

This is the EU regulation. The sole purpose of REACH is to address the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on human health and the environment. REACH requires all companies that produce or import one ton or more of chemical substances into the EU every year to register these substances with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). Manufacturers, importers and their customers must communicate information about chemicals throughout the supply chain in order to understand information related to the health and safety of the products they supply.

The two main goals of the REACH regulation are, first, to establish substance rules and second, to establish the European Chemicals Agency. The main goals of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks posed by chemicals, promote alternative testing methods, free circulation of substances on the internal market, and enhance competitiveness and innovation. REACH requires industry to be responsible for assessing and managing the risks posed by chemicals and providing appropriate safety information to users. At the same time, the EU can take additional measures against highly hazardous substances, which requires additional action at the EU level.

What products are covered by REACH regulations?

The purpose of the regulation is to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment, including promoting alternative methods of material hazard assessment and the free circulation of substances on the internal market, while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. Some chemicals of “high concern” include:

• carcinogens
• mutagen
• reproductive toxins
• Persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals

Therefore, REACH applies to all chemicals, including chemicals used to make products. This may include materials, solvents, paints, chemicals, etc. We hope this will give you a better understanding of these regulations and how to comply with them.

How to comply with REACH regulations:

Companies have the responsibility to collect information on the characteristics and uses of the substances they manufacture or import one ton or more each year. They must also evaluate the hazards and potential risks posed by the substance. This information is communicated to ECHA through registration files containing hazard information and, where relevant, evaluates the risks that may arise from the use of the substance and how to control these risks.

Registration applies to the substance itself, substances in mixtures and certain cases of substances in articles. Chemical substances that are already regulated by other regulations (such as pharmaceuticals or radioactive substances) are partially or completely exempt from REACH requirements.
Registration is based on the principle of “one substance, one registration”. This means that manufacturers and importers of the same substance are obliged to jointly submit for registration. The analytical and spectral information provided should be consistent and sufficient to confirm the identity of the substance.