Why is REACH, this new EU Chemicals Policy, needed?
- A need for simplification, and the need to cover all chemicals, not just those post-1981.
- Currently about 30.000 substances are in the EU market in volumes above one tonne.
All chemicals that were put on the market before 1981 were called "existing" chemicals. In 1981, they numbered ca 100,000. Chemicals introduced after 1981 (over 4300) were termed "new" chemicals. While new chemicals had to be tested quite rigorously under the present legislation, there were no such provisions for the existing substances. Consequently, there is a general lack of knowledge on properties and uses of “existing” substances and the risk assessment process was slow, cumbersome and resource-intensive. For example, since 1993, only 140 high-volume chemicals (above 1000 tonnes) have been singled out as a priority for risk assessment and final reports are available for about 70 of these substances. These shortcomings have potentially put human health and the environment at risk.
As regards new substances the current system has also hampered research and innovation. New chemicals manufactured in quantities as low as 10 kg were subject to heavy testing requirements, causing the EU chemicals industry to lag behind its counterparts in the US and Japan in this regard.
REACH will replace this legislation and require manufacturers and importers to gather comprehensive information on the properties of all substances produced or imported in quantities higher than 1 ton per year and to submit the necessary information to demonstrate their safe use in a registration dossier to the European Chemicals Agency. Failure to register will mean the substance cannot be manufactured or imported into the EU market. Currently about 30.000 substances are in the EU market in volumes above one tonne. REACH will also provide encouragement to develop new substances as a result of less burdensome requirements for registration of new chemicals and better incentives for research and development.
