What is REACH?

REACH is the Ordinance for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It came into force on 1st June 2007 and was enacted to streamline and improve previous statutory framework conditions for chemical substances in the European Union (EU). REACH imposes considerable responsibilities on industry in controlling the risks for health and the environment that are associated with chemical substances.
REACH applies to all chemical substances, i.e. not only to industrial chemicals but also to substances in every-day use, for instance in cleaning products, paints and even in such objects as clothing, furniture and electrical appliances.

The aims

REACH pursues the following aims:

• More effective protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be associated with chemical substances.
• Increasing the competitiveness of the European chemical industry as one of the key sectors of the EU economy.
• Promoting alternative methods to assess the dangers associated with substances.
• Ensuring free movement of substances within the EU home market.
  

The objective of REACH

REACH replaces some forty individual legal stipulations with a streamlined, improved ordinance. Other legal regulations relating to chemical substances (such as cosmetics or detergents) and similar areas (such as the health and safety of workers handling chemical substances, product safety and building materials) that have not been replaced by REACH continue to retain their validity. The REACH Ordinance has been conceived in such a manner that it does not overlap other legal stipulations within the chemical area no does it collide with them. (…)

Useful links – Further information

Federal Institute for Labour Protection and Industrial Medicine (BauA)
http://www.baua.de

European Chemical Agency
http://ec.europa.eu/echa/home_de.html

The REACH Information Portal: With reference to all participating authorities
http://www.reach-info.de/