REACH: Toward the Safer Management of Chemicals*

Abstract

When the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) officially started its operations at the beginning of June 2008, it marked a sea change in the management of chemicals in Europe. Regulation (EC) No. 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and the Council of 18 December 2006, an intensely debated piece of legislation―closely monitored by stakeholders within and beyond the European Union (EU)―concerning the registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals (REACH), 1 replaces 40 pieces of previous European chemicals legislation. The most distinctive and innovative feature of REACH is the reversal of the burden of proof: It is no longer the task of public authorities to prove that certain substances present certain risks; rather, those who wish to manufacture or import these substances in the EU must provide sufficient information on the effects of their chemicals on human health and the environment (on registration). In addition, to minimize and control the risks associated with chemicals, the manufacturer or importer must request authorization for the use of the most dangerous chemicals, and those substances presenting unacceptable risks to human health or the environment are to be restricted.