The REACH Directive - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals

Author: European Union

Price Free Publisher European Union Publication date 10 July 2007 ISBN Cat No: FX-AL-07-136-EN-C

Book synopsis: Full text of REACH Directive - from the Official Journal of the European Union L 136, 29.05.2007. In order to introduce a chemical substance on the European Union market, a manufacturer or importer must demonstrate its safe use. It has to submit comprehensive information on properties of the substance to the new European Chemicals Agency, which will evaluate the chemical before authorising it in the EU. The agency is established by REACH, which stands for 'Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals' — an EU regulation creating a single system for all chemical substances. The regulation also implies that EU member states will examine substances of concern, as well as deal with proposals for animal testing, trying to limit this practise as much as possible. Chemicals that can cause cancer, mutations or reproduction problems, or that accumulate in our bodies and in the environment, will need use-specific authorisations. In an attempt to encourage chemical companies to replace unsafe substances by safer ones, the companies must prove that the risks are adequately controlled, or that social and economic benefits outweigh the risks, and suitable alternative substances do not exist.

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