A groundbreaking chemical law, passed by the European Parliament on Dec. 13, is set to fundamentally change the evaluation and production of chemicals used throughout the European Union.
The Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) law, which will go into effect in June 2007, takes a different approach than current U.S. policy does. It shifts the responsibility for chemical testing and risk evaluation from public authorities to the chemical industry itself. Manufacturers will have to register with the new European Chemicals Agency any chemical produced or imported in volumes of 1,000 kilograms or more per year. Companies must provide information on all such materials’ properties, uses, and safe handling.