Number: Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006

Official Title:
Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)

Description:
REACH stands for:

Registration: Chemical producers are required to register safety data for all chemicals produced.

Evaluation: Experts from member states and the European Agency evaluate safety data for higher volume chemicals and other chemicals of concern.

Authorization: Chemicals that are of “very high concern” are to be phased out and replaced with safer alternative chemicals.

Restriction of Chemicals: Chemicals may be completely banned or some uses of the chemicals can be restricted.

This is a European Union regulation. The sole purpose of REACH is to address the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment. REACH requires all companies manufacturing or importing chemical substances into the European Union in quantities of one tonne or more per year to register these substances with European Chemical Agency (ECHA). Manufacturers, importers and also their customers are required to communicate information on chemicals throughout the supply chain in order to be aware of information relating to the health and safety of the products supplied.

The main two objectives of the REACH Regulation are firstly, laying down rules for substances and secondly, establishing a European Chemicals Agency. The main aims of REACH are to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals, the promotion of alternative test methods, the free circulation of substances on the internal market, and enhancing competitiveness and innovation.
REACH makes industry responsible for assessing and managing the risks posed by chemicals and providing appropriate safety information to their users. In parallel, the European Union can take additional measures on highly dangerous substances, where there is a need for complementing action at EU level.

The purpose of this Regulation is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards of substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation.
Some of the chemicals that are of “very high concern” include:

REACH, therefore, pertains to all chemicals including those used to make a product. This can include materials, solvents, paints, chemicals, and more. We hope this allows you to better understand these regulations and how you can comply.

Companies have the responsibility of collecting information on the properties and the uses of substances that they manufacture or import at or above one tonne per year. They also have to make an assessment of the hazards and potential risks presented by the substance.
This information is communicated to ECHA through a registration dossier containing the hazard information and, where relevant, an assessment of the risks that the use of the substance may pose and how these risks should be controlled.

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