On June 1st, 2007, the European Union set up a new regulation which demands the official recording of all chemical substances used in the European market.

The main purpose is to improve the knowledge of the intrinsic characteristics of these substances and the risks linked to their usage.
  
 

 

The project covers

  
 
  • all the substances already used before June 1st, 2007 : 11 years are allowed for an exhaustive recording.
  • all new substances imported or created in Europe after this date.

The REACH programme (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, CHemicals) concerns all firms which produce, use or sell chemical substances, preparations (colouring agents, paintings, etc) or products on the European market. will also allow to all users of these substances / products to be informed about accruing potential risks.

With regard to this regulation, all chemical substances produced or imported by an entity (company), in more than a ton/year, need to be the object of a risk analysis and testing.

This concerns both new substances and substances already commercialised before June 1st, 2007.

All the industrial actors are responsible for the evaluation and measurements. The delay allowed for recording depends on the annual tonnage:

  • by the end of 2010 for qty > 1000 tons/year
  • in the period 2011-2019 for lower tonnages.

Until today, only the substances produced after 1981 were the object of a simple recording. These represent less than 10 % of all the commercialised substances.

With REACH, no transformation and no sale on the market will be allowed, if the harmlessness of the substance is not previously proved by the industrial company.