About REACH

The REACH legislation was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council and came into force on June 1st 2007. Manufacturers or importers of chemical substances (1) or preparations (2) have to complete the pre-registration latest by December 2008.

REACH is designed to improve the protection of human health and the environment, and to maintain and enhance the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry. The new regulation establishes European-wide uniform legal standards and replaces former regulations on evaluation and notification of chemical substances.

REACH applies to all EU companies manufacturing, importing or using chemicals, which will have to assume even greater responsibilities in future for the safe handling and use of these substances and preparations.

(1) chemical element and its compounds in the natural state or obtained by any manufacturing process, including any additive necessary to preserve its stability and any impurity deriving from the process used, but excluding any solvent which may be separated without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its composition

(2) a mixture or solution composed of two or more substances