REACH

REACH, the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals, has been adopted by the European Parliament and the European Council on 19 December 2006 and has entered into force on 1 June 2007. This Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 replaces many existing pieces of legislation and presents some of the most important changes to the EU's management of chemicals in about 30 years, especially with the replacement of the Dangerous Substance Directive (67/548/EEC), first introduced in 1967. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), located in Helsinki, has been created to manage technical, administrative, and scientific aspects of the Regulation in order to ensure that REACH operates in an efficient manner.

The Registration part of REACH requires manufacturers and/or importers of substances and/or materials containing such chemicals to pre-register and register those at ECHA within the deadlines and according to a procedure prescribed in the Regulation. A single set of data is required per registered substance; registration requirements starting at one tonne per manufacturer per year.