REACH – Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006

The REACH Regulation governs the safe handling of chemical substances within the EU and requires companies to systematically identify, assess, and control substance risks through appropriate risk management measures. Key regulatory lists include:

• Annex XIV (Authorisation): Lists Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) that require authorisation after specified sunset dates and application deadlines.

• Annex XVII (Restrictions): Contains binding restrictions on use and prohibitions for specific substances in products and applications.

• Article 33: Defines information duties for SVHCs in articles along the supply chain and to consumers.

For operational practice, REACH compliance entails:

• Substance identity and volume tracking must be reliably documented (registration dossier).

• Classification and labelling must be consistently performed in accordance with the CLP Regulation in Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

• SVHC matches in articles (> 0.1% by weight) must be communicated to recipients and notified to ECHA (SCIP database).

• Regular review of the SVHC Candidate List, current restrictions, and harmonised classifications is required to ensure compliance and plan substitution strategies in a timely manner.

REACH is closely integrated with other EU regulations, such as CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging), the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR), and sector-specific frameworks (e.g. IED, PPWR, Battery Regulation), establishing a consistent regulatory environment for chemical safety.