The new European law on chemicals, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals), entered into force on 1 June 2007.

The aim of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the properties of chemical substances. At the same time, innovative capability and competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry should be enhanced.

The REACH Regulation gives greater responsibility to industry to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances. Manufacturers and importers are required to gather information on the properties of their substances and to register the information in a central database. The European Chemicals Agency acts as the central point in the REACH system by running the databases necessary to operate the system, co-ordinating the in-depth evaluation of suspicious chemicals and maintaining a public database in which consumers and professionals can find information on chemical hazards.

The Regulation also calls for the progressive substitution of the most dangerous chemicals when suitable alternatives have been identified.

The website of the European Chemicals Agency provides an overview of the new Regulation together with guidance for industry and the authorities on its implementation.

The full text of the Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 is available in all languages of the European Union here.