Strategic Context and Objectives
The REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), adopted in 2006, establishes a comprehensive framework for the management of chemical substances within the European Union, with the primary objective of ensuring a high level of protection of human health and the environment.
It shifts the responsibility for chemical safety from public authorities to industry, requiring companies to identify and manage the risks associated with substances they manufacture or place on the market. The regulation also aims to enhance transparency along the supply chain, promote the substitution of hazardous substances with safer alternatives, and support the functioning of the internal market.
Key Principles and Regulatory Mechanisms
REACH is structured around four main processes:
- Registration, requiring companies to submit detailed information on the properties and uses of substances;
- Evaluation, carried out by authorities to assess risks and verify compliance;
- Authorisation, for substances of very high concern, ensuring that their use is controlled and progressively replaced;
- Restriction, limiting or banning the manufacture, use, or placing on the market of hazardous substances.
The regulation imposes extensive information and communication obligations across the supply chain, including the provision and updating of safety data sheets and relevant risk management information to downstream users.
Specific provisions also regulate the presence of hazardous substances in articles and consumer products, including concentration thresholds and conditions for safe use, thereby reinforcing consumer protection and market surveillance.
Overall, REACH represents one of the most advanced chemical regulatory systems globally, promoting safer chemical management, fostering innovation in sustainable substances, and contributing to the broader objectives of EU environmental and public health policy.