General report on the operation of REACH and review of certain elements – Conclusions and actions

Further information:

The evaluation was carried out as part of the programme for Regulatory Fitness and Performance (REFIT) in accordance with the Commission's Better Regulation guidelines. This report also includes three reviews: one on possible registration of polymers and two on minimum information requirements for low tonnage substances (1-10 tonnes/year).

The review shows that, thanks to this Regulation, EU companies and authorities have been able to guarantee the safe use of chemicals and the phase-out of dangerous substances. Nonetheless, the Commission proposes in this document a number of concrete actions to improve the implementation of REACH.

These measures are put forward to improve the quality of registration dossiers submitted by the companies, to simplify the overall authorisation process and to ensure a level playing field between the EU and non-EU companies. The Commission also wants to further support SMEs in their compliance and enhance enforcement by national authorities, as well as the coherence of REACH with worker protection and waste legislation.

Background information:

REACH is the European Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force in 2007, replacing the former legislative framework for chemicals in the EU that was put in place in the late 1960s and 1970s. In principle, REACH applies to nearly all chemical substances.

Member States, ECHA and the Commission are required to regularly report on the operation of the Regulation. The Commission also has to carry out a number of reviews by different deadlines. In 2013 the Commission presented the first report covering REACH's first 5 years of operation and including certain reviews.

The European Commission published on 5 March 2018 the second report reviewing the operation of the Regulation for the Registration, Regulation, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: SWD(2018) 58: Commission Staff Working Document accompanying COM(2018)116 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2018:058:FIN

European Commission: Press Release, 05.03.18: Ten years of REACH: making chemicals safer for consumers, workers and the environment http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-18-1362_en.htm

European Commission: REACH Review [Q&A] http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-18-1363_en.htm

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