REACH is a new EU regulation which came into force
across the UK in June 07, and has a requirement for manufacturers
or importers of substances to register with a central European
Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
Those who do not register their substances will no longer be
able to manufacture or supply them.
REACH is the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation
& Restriction of Chemicals, and aims to replace a number of
European directives and regulations with a single system.
REACH aims to:
- protect health & the environment
- make manufacturers & importers responsible for
the risks
- allow free movement of substances on the EU market
- enhance innovation & competitiveness
- promote alternative methods for assessing hazardous
substances
Those who are aware of their responsibilities and opportunities
under
REACH will have a business advantage over those who are
unaware and miss key deadlines.
REACH - SCOPE & EXEMPTIONS
REACH applies to substances manufactured or imported into
the EU in quantities of 1
tonne per year or more. It generally applies to all individual
chemical substances on their own, in preparations or in articles
(if the substance is intended to be released during normal and
reasonably foreseeable conditions of use from an article). Some
substances are specifically excluded include:
- Radioactive substances
- Substances under customs supervision
- The transport of substances
- Non-isolated intermediates
- Waste
- Some naturally occurring low-hazard substances
Some substances, covered by more specific legislation, have
tailored provisions, including:
- Human & veterinary medicines
- Food & foodstuff additives
- Plant protection products & biocides
Other substances have tailored provisions within the
REACH legislation, as long they are used in specified
conditions:
- Isolated intermediates
- Substances used for research & development
The main difference between
REACH and the previous regime for regulating chemicals is
that it treats existing substances on an even footing with new
substances, in terms of data requirements. There are potentially
around 30,000 substances on the market today which
REACH will require information to be provided on in the
next several years, if they are to remain on the market.
WHAT MANFACTURERS & IMPORTERS OF SUBSTANCES NEED TO
DO
The crucial
REACH milestone of 2008 is the one-off pre-registration
period for existing substances, which runs from 1st June -
30th November 08.
Manufacturers & importers (into the EU) of substances which come under the
scope of
REACH must pre-register with the European Chemicals
Agency within this period if they wish to continue the marketing
and use of those substances after 1st December 08.
Pre-registration is free and requires very little technical
information - it is a declaration of intent to submit a full
registration dossier at a later date.
Following the pre-registration period, all pre-registrants of a
particular substance in the EU will be put in contact with one
another to pool their resources and submit a single full
registration for that substance by the appropriate deadline.
However, if the pre-registration deadline is missed, full
registration is required immediately if the substance is to remain
on the market.
Users of chemicals do not need to pre-register or register, but
they do need to ensure that the manufacturer or importer further up
the supply chain intends to do so, and is aware of the uses to
which the substance is being put. Otherwise the supply of a
substance that is critical to the business may dry up, or that
particular use prohibited.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information on what businesses need to do, contact
the UK Competent Authority helpdesk on Tel: 0845 408 9575 Email:
ukreachca@hse.gsi.gov.uk
Alternatively please visit the Health & Safety Executive
(HSE)
website's
REACH mini-site at: www.hse.gov.uk/reach - which
includes an outline of
REACH, the role of businesses, what individuals need to
do, when to comply, case studies, frequently asked questions, a
glossary, events and sources of further information.
For further information on the EU regulation please visit: http://echa.europa.eu/reach_en.html