The European Union has introduced a new chemical regulation known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of CHemicals). The regulation places greater responsibility on the industry to manage the risks chemicals may pose to health and the environment.
The main aims of REACH are to:
- Improve the protection of human health and the environment from the risks that can be posed by chemicals.
- Enhance the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry, a key sector for the economy of the EU.
- Promote alternative methods for the assessment of hazards of substances.
- Ensure the free circulation of substances on the internal market of the European Union.
This means that for marketed articles it has to be checked, whether they contain more than 0 ,1 % of any of the so-called SVHC – Substances of Very High Concern.
