REACH Registration simplified
Three main principles
The REACH regulation requires the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals manufactured, used or imported on the European market. REACH streamlines and improves the former European Union regulatory framework for chemicals.
REACH is at the origin of the creation of ECHA, the European Chemicals Agency, a European body dedicated to the implementation of this ambitious regulation.
REACH is based on 3 fundamental principles:
« No data, no market »
Any chemical substance that is not registered and for which authorisation has not been granted by ECHA is prohibited from use.
Precautionary principle: the company is responsible
REACH places the responsibility on industry to assess and manage the risks posed by chemicals and to provide adequate safety information to their users.
Traceability & communication
Each player in the supply chain must communicate, exchange and transmit all the necessary information both upstream and downstream.
In Practice
Key products
REACH affects more than 30,000 substances, whether used on their own, in preparations or in articles. Consequently, all industries are affected: chemical, electrical, automotive, textile, etc.
The main actors
Manufacturers and importers of substances are entirely concerned by REACH, as it is up to them to prepare the registration dossier to be submitted to ECHA (laboratory tests, collection of information from downstream users, etc.).
Distributors and downstream users must also ensure their REACH compliance.The entire supply chain is therefore involved, with the exception of waste collectors and consumers.
The REACH Registration Dossier
Each registrant must prepare a technical registration dossier containing data on the substance and its uses: physico-chemical, toxicological and ecotoxicological properties.
For chemical substances above 10 tonnes per year, REACH requires a Chemical Safety Report including exposure scenarios and an assessment of potential risks.
Key dates
In force since 2007, REACH extends over 11 years with three main stages for registration:
2010
for substances above 1 000 tonnes per year and dangerous substances
2013
for substances between 100 and 1 000 tonnes per year
2018
for substances from 1 to 100 tonnes per year
