Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals

Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) is a proposal from the European Commission to modify the legislation on chemical safety in the European Union. It would enventually oblige companies producing more than 10 tonnes of a chemical (less in certain cases) to investigate the potential hazards to human health and to the environment. It would apply to all chemicals commercially available in the EU, in contrast to the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).

The proposal is currently undergoing a process of consultation with interested parties. It has already been significantly amended since the original version (2003), and the legislation is expected to be ready in early 2006. The estimated cost of compliance is €2.3 billion over 11 years. However, there have been different studies on the estimated cost which vary considerably in the outcome.

The issue is more a issue of health than of the environment since it is aimed at the use and handling of substances which may be toxic to humans. However, certain chemicals which are persistant pollutants are included within REACH.

For example, the issue of using toxic substances in electronic devices has two implications: Firstly, toxic substances can leave the device during consumer use through the air and secondly, toxical substances can end up in the environment where they might not do harm to humans directly, but for example through the contamination of the Baltic Sea with chemicals, these chemicals enter the food chain through fish, e.g. accumulate (Bioaccumulation) in the human body over centuries, reaching dangerous concetrations. This is not a theoretical idea but happens with toxic substances which can be dangerous to babies in pregnant woman today.

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See also: Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals, Baltic Sea, Bioaccumulation, Carcinogen, Chemistry, Consumer, Consumer protection, Directive 67/548/EEC, EUR-Lex