REACH

REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is the European regulation EC 1907/2006, the world's most comprehensive framework for managing chemical substances. It applies to any chemical substance manufactured or imported into the EU in quantities exceeding 1 tonne per year.

The main obligations are:

• Registration: every substance must be registered with ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) with a technical dossier and, above 10 tonnes/year, a chemical safety report
• Evaluation: ECHA and Member States evaluate the risks of registered substances
• Authorisation: Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) require specific authorisation for use
• Restriction: certain substances are restricted or banned for specific uses

For importers, REACH requires:

• Verifying whether substances in their products are registered
• Providing Safety Data Sheets (SDS) to their customers
• Notifying articles containing SVHCs above 0.1 % by weight

Non-compliance with REACH can result in market bans, significant fines and criminal prosecution.