DRY RUN FOR EU'S REACH PROGRAM

Abstract

THE EUROPEAN UNION'S PENDing legislation on the registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals (REACH) is moving through the final stages of its formulation. Though the legislation is controversial, some version of REACH is expected to take effect in two years or so. In the meantime, the European chemical industry and the governments of both the EU and its member states are starting to prepare for implementation of REACH. To do so, they are working together to test the workability of the registration of chemicals, to see how REACH might actually operate, and to identify solutions to any problems before the legislation is enacted. The European Commission—which is the EU's executive branch—several member states, and chemical companies recently conducted a pilot run of how chemicals will get registered under REACH. The project, called the Strategic Partnership on REACH Testing (SPORT), is the brainchild of the European Chemical Industry Council, says Lena Perenius, director of ...