Chemicals

Latest news, background information and web links about the European Union's chemicals policy

EU Enterprise and Industry Contacts — 22 September 2009, 22:38 CET

 

chemicals — 22 September 2009, 22:32 CET

chemicals

EU mercury strategy — 25 September 2008, 19:02 CET

European Commission website on the various European Union initiatives to protect EU citizens' health and the environment from the dangers of mercury.

European Chemicals Agency ECHA - guide — 03 June 2008, 16:02 CET

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) was officially opened on 3 June 2008 by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and Finnish Prime Matti Vanhanen. Located in Helsinki, ECHA is responsible for managing the implementation of the REACH requirements in relation to the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction processes of chemical substances. ECHA formally began its activities a year ago and its work has been devoted to intensive preparations, including staff recruitment and establishing support structures and procedures. On 1st June 2008 two key processes of REACH entered into operation: Registration of chemicals and pre-registration of the some 30,000 chemicals currently in use (e.g. acids, metals, solvents, surfactants). Manufacturers or importers of chemicals have to pre-register them by 1 December 2008 if they want to continue manufacturing or importing them without interruption. It has been estimated that over 180,000 pre-registration files will be submitted.

ECHA - Implementing REACH in practice — 03 June 2008, 15:55 CET

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki is opening today. This coincides with the start of the key processes of pre-registration and registration under REACH. The European Commission and ECHA therefore remind companies to pre-register their chemicals before 1 December 2008. Mandatory registration of non phase-in substances started on 1 June 2008.

European Chemicals Bureau - guide — 01 May 2008, 23:10 CET

On 29 April 2008, the European Chemicals Bureau (ECB) at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre celebrated 15 years of contributing to a high level of protection for workers, consumers and the environment through the identification of dangerous chemicals. The ECB has contributed substantially to the new chemicals regulation, REACH, which entered into force on 1st June 2007, which aims to improve human health and the environment while strengthening the competitiveness of the chemicals industry. The ECB officially hands over its experience to the newly created European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki on 1st June 2008.

EU Regulation of Chemicals: REACH (Rapra Review Reports) (Paperback) — 13 September 2007, 18:15 CET

Chemical control measures in the EU are soon to be dramatically revised, and this "Rapra Review Report" sets the scene by describing the key facts of the existing measures and the objectives of the future chemicals policy: REACH. REACH - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals - will place a duty on companies that manufacture, import and use chemicals in the EU to assess the risks arising from their use and manage any risks identified. With industry concerns about the cost of compliance in terms of testing, in-house management, and scientific and regulatory advice and consultancy, this "Rapra Review Report" presents the essential details of the objectives and timescales involved with the legislation. The objective of the new legislation is to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment whilst maintaining an efficient internal market and innovation and competitiveness in the chemical industry. The author covers the main points, with abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library identifying the sources for further reading on this subject. This "Rapra Review Report" is essential reading for chemical and material manufacturers and suppliers. It describes clearly the forthcoming fundamental changes to chemical control in the EU.

High Level Group on the Competitiveness of the European Chemicals Industry — 11 September 2007, 16:59 CET

The European Commission has launched a high level group on the competitiveness of the European chemicals industry.

The REACH Directive - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals — 16 July 2007, 23:36 CET

Full text of REACH Directive - from the Official Journal of the European Union L 136, 29.05.2007. In order to introduce a chemical substance on the European Union market, a manufacturer or importer must demonstrate its safe use. It has to submit comprehensive information on properties of the substance to the new European Chemicals Agency, which will evaluate the chemical before authorising it in the EU. The agency is established by REACH, which stands for 'Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals' — an EU regulation creating a single system for all chemical substances. The regulation also implies that EU member states will examine substances of concern, as well as deal with proposals for animal testing, trying to limit this practise as much as possible. Chemicals that can cause cancer, mutations or reproduction problems, or that accumulate in our bodies and in the environment, will need use-specific authorisations. In an attempt to encourage chemical companies to replace unsafe substances by safer ones, the companies must prove that the risks are adequately controlled, or that social and economic benefits outweigh the risks, and suitable alternative substances do not exist.

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the REACH Regulation - Questions and Answers — 07 June 2007, 22:24 CET

The new European chemicals legislation, REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restrictions of Chemicals) entered into force on 1 June 2007, and with it the new European Chemicals Agency started operations in Helsinki. The aim of the EU's REACH regulation is to improve protection of human health and the environment while encouraging innovation and keeping the EU's chemical industry competitive. The Agency, which is responsible for managing the implementation of the new requirements, is to launch a website providing key information such as guidance documents, helpdesks and other tools relating to REACH. Starting on 1 June 2007, the Agency will have to work hard to become fully operational on 1 June 2008, when companies will begin on-line submission of pre-registrations and registration dossiers.

REACH EU chemicals policy - Q&A — 14 December 2006, 13:45 CET

Questions and Answers on the European Union's new Chemicals policy, REACH

Chemicals, industrial risk and biotechnology — 08 August 2006, 10:39 CET

Chemicals, industrial risk and biotechnology - EU legislation in force (EUR-Lex)

REACH - New EU Chemicals Legislation — 06 August 2006, 10:42 CET

On 29 October 2003, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new EU regulatory framework for chemicals. Under the proposed new system called REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals), companies that manufacture or import more than one tonne of a chemical substance per year would be required to register it in a central database. The aims of the proposed new Regulation are to improve the protection of human health and the environment while maintaining the competitiveness and enhancing the innovative capability of the EU chemicals industry. REACH would in addition give greater responsibility to industry to manage the risks from chemicals and to provide safety information on the substances. This information would be passed down the chain of production. The proposal is being considered by the European Parliament and the EU’s Council of Ministers for adoption under the so-called co-decision procedure.