REACH stands for the EU Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. It is a chemical regulatory system established by the EU and entered into force on 1 June 2007.
It is a regulatory framework governing the safe production, trade and use of chemicals. Its objectives are to protect human health and the environment, maintain and strengthen the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry, foster innovation in non toxic and harmless compounds, prevent market fragmentation, improve transparency in chemical usage, promote non animal testing, and pursue social sustainability.
The REACH regulation requires all chemicals imported or manufactured within Europe to go through a comprehensive set of procedures including registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction. This enables better and simpler identification of chemical constituents to safeguard environmental and human safety. The core components of the regulation include registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction.
Every product must have a registration dossier listing its chemical composition, together with documentation describing how manufacturers use these chemical substances and toxicity assessment reports. All information is uploaded to a database managed by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), an EU body based in Helsinki, Finland.
ECHA evaluates each dossier. If a chemical is found to pose risks to human health or the environment, stricter measures may be imposed. Based on assessment of multiple factors, a chemical may be banned or permitted for use only after authorization.
Unlike the RoHS directive, REACH covers a far broader scope. In fact, it affects products and manufacturing processes across nearly all industries, from mining to textiles & apparel, light industry, electrical and mechanical sectors. REACH requires manufacturers to register each chemical substance contained in products (approximately 30,000 substances in total) and assess their potential hazards to public health.
REACH establishes the principle that society should not introduce new materials, products or technologies if their potential hazards remain unknown. Electrical and mechanical products represent a major export category for foreign trade. As downstream users of the chemical industry, no electrical and mechanical enterprise trading with Europe can escape the constraints of the REACH regime.
Which products require REACH testing?
- Chemicals, alloys, plastics, semi finished goods and components
- Toys, furniture, cosmetics, stationery, pigments, paints, adhesives and cleaning agents
- Textiles, footwear, leather goods and accessories, jewellery
- Electrical and electronic products and other goods
How long does REACH testing take?
REACH testing normally takes 7–10 working days. More complex products require a longer testing period.
What is the validity period of a REACH test report?
REACH test reports have no fixed expiry date. The existing report remains valid if the product formulation stays unchanged. Retesting is required if the EU updates REACH regulatory criteria
