Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals

The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 is the European Union's primary legislation for protecting human health and the environment from chemical risks. It also aims to enhance the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry.

Key Objectives: -> Protection of Human Health and the Environment: REACH ensures that the risks from chemicals are properly controlled and that information on their properties is made available to users. -> Promotion of Alternative Testing Methods: The regulation encourages the use of non-animal testing methods for chemical hazard assessment. -> Enhancement of Industry Competitiveness: By streamlining chemical regulations, REACH aims to bolster the EU chemicals industry's competitiveness globally.

Recent Amendments: In 2021, the European Commission revised certain information requirements for chemical registrations under REACH. These changes, effective from early 2022, aimed to clarify the data companies need to submit and to make the European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) evaluation practices more transparent.

Starting from 1 June 2023, ECHA updated its completeness checks for REACH registrations. These amendments ensure that new registrations and updates meet the revised information requirements, particularly concerning substance identity and standard information requirements.

In September 2023, the European Commission proposed amending Annex XVII of REACH to address the use of synthetic polymer microparticles. This proposal aims to restrict the use of these particles in certain products to reduce environmental impact.

The most recent update to Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, known as the REACH Regulation, was made by Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/1328, published on May 17, 2024. This regulation amended Annex XVII of REACH concerning:

1. substances Octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4)
2. Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5)
3. Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6). These substances are identified as Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic (PBT), with additional very persistent and very bioaccumulative properties.​

These amendments demonstrate the EU's ongoing commitment to adapting its chemical safety regulations in response to emerging scientific evidence and environmental considerations.​

🔗 EC, ECHA, OSHA