REACH Services
What is REACH
REACH is the acronym for the European Regulation (EC) 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, which entered into force on June 1st 2007.
Any manufacturer, importer or downstream user of substances should ensure that they manufacture, import, place on the market or use such substances in a way that does not adversely affect human health or the environment. Obligations concerning REACH compliance not only vary due to the production tonnage range but also to their role in the supply chain.
Read more on the website of the European Commission.
Eurofins REACH Services, a global network of Eurofins companies, brings together the most respected brands in consumer, environmental and product science, offering you a better choice for contract research and product testing services. If you manufacture or import chemicals and products containing certain chemical substances into Europe – it is likely that REACH regulation will affect you.
As a global service provider to the Chemical and Consumer products Industry, our Eurofins REACH Services team offer a comprehensive range of testing and consulting services for REACH and REACH-similar regulations around the world. We connect global, multi-disciplined research capabilities with market-leading product expertise and technical support services to meet the regulatory needs of your business.
Key Provisions of the REACH Regulation
- Registration: All substances manufactured or imported at or above one tonne per year by one company, irrespective of whether they are hazardous and within the scope of application of REACH, must be registered to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) before being placed on the market. Registration applies to substances on their own, substances in mixtures and, in certain cases, substances in articles.
- Evaluation: Registration dossiers submitted will be examined by ECHA, including the evaluation of proposals for testing submitted by registrants, in order to reduce the amount of testing on vertebrate animals.
In addition, the evaluation of “prioritised” substances, conducted by the Member States and coordinated by ECHA, may trigger authorisation or restriction procedures. - Authorisation: Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) included in Annex XIV are subject to authorisation and may no longer be placed on the market without prior authorisation issued by the European Commission. The purpose of the authorisation procedure is to ensure that the risks arising from SVHC are properly controlled and that these substances are progressively replaced by suitable alternative substances or techniques, where these are economically and technically viable.
- Restriction: The restriction process limits the manufacturing, use or placing on the market of substances which pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment. Restricted substances under Annex XVII includes all the restrictions adopted in the framework of REACH and the previous Directive 76/769/ECC.
- Communication in the supply chain: Information about the safe use of chemicals should be communicated upstream and downstream throughout the supply chain.