REACH stands for the Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals.

All producers, importers, and users of chemicals in the European Union (EU) will be required to register and in many cases seek authorization to produce or use chemicals. The major feature of this new legislation is that it shifts the burden of proof in the EU from the governmental bodies to the producers and users for generating toxicological data; information regarding the potential occupational, environmental, and public health impacts; recommended exposure limits; as well as specific guidance on how to safely use and dispose these chemicals for each “major use scenario”. This presentation will cover the origin and basics of the EU REACH initiative, explore how it might affect US companies, both those exporting to the EU and those that do not, and also how the REACH initiative has the potential to radically change the practice of EHS sciences worldwide.