Law-ref.org REACH - Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals
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... 1. This Regulation should ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment as well as the free movement of substances, on their own, in preparations and in articles, while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. This Regulation should also promote the development of alternative methods for the assessment of hazards of substances. ...
... 3. A high level of human health and environmental protection should be ensured in the approximation of legislation on substances, with the goal of achieving sustainable development. That legislation should be applied in a non-discriminatory manner whether substances are traded on the internal market or internationally in accordance with the Community's international commitments. ...
... 7. To preserve the integrity of the internal market and to ensure a high level of protection for human health, especially the health of workers, and the environment, it is necessary to ensure that manufacturing of substances in the Community complies with Community law, even if those substances are exported. ...
... 9. The assessment of the operation of the four main legal instruments governing chemicals in the Community, i.e. Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances(3), Council Directive 76/769/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations(4), Directive 1999/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 May 1999 concerning the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous preparations(5) and Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 of 23 March 1993 on the evaluation and control of the risks of existing substances(6), identified a number of problems in the functioning of Community legislation on chemicals, resulting in disparities between the laws, regulations and administrative provisions in Member States directly affecting the functioning of the internal market in this field, and the need to do more to protect public health and the environment in accordance with the precautionary principle. ...
... 12. An important objective of the new system to be established by this Regulation is to encourage and in certain cases to ensure that substances of high concern are eventually replaced by less dangerous substances or technologies where suitable economically and technically viable alternatives are available. This Regulation does not affect the application of Directives on worker protection and the environment, especially Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Council Directive 89/391/EEC)(7) and Council Directive 98/24/EC of 7 April 1998 on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work (fourteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)(8) under which employers are required to eliminate dangerous substances, wherever technically possible, or to substitute dangerous substances with less dangerous substances. ...
... 12. An important objective of the new system to be established by this Regulation is to encourage and in certain cases to ensure that substances of high concern are eventually replaced by less dangerous substances or technologies where suitable economically and technically viable alternatives are available. This Regulation does not affect the application of Directives on worker protection and the environment, especially Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Council Directive 89/391/EEC)(7) and Council Directive 98/24/EC of 7 April 1998 on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work (fourteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)(8) under which employers are required to eliminate dangerous substances, wherever technically possible, or to substitute dangerous substances with less dangerous substances. ...
... 12. An important objective of the new system to be established by this Regulation is to encourage and in certain cases to ensure that substances of high concern are eventually replaced by less dangerous substances or technologies where suitable economically and technically viable alternatives are available. This Regulation does not affect the application of Directives on worker protection and the environment, especially Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens or mutagens at work (Sixth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Council Directive 89/391/EEC)(7) and Council Directive 98/24/EC of 7 April 1998 on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work (fourteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)(8) under which employers are required to eliminate dangerous substances, wherever technically possible, or to substitute dangerous substances with less dangerous substances. ...
... 13. This Regulation should apply without prejudice to the prohibitions and restrictions laid down in Council Directive 76/768/EEC of 27 July 1976 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to cosmetic products(9) in so far as substances are used and marketed as cosmetic ingredients and are within the scope of this Regulation. A phase-out of testing on vertebrate animals for the purpose of protecting human health as specified in Directive 76/768/EEC should take place with regard to the uses of those substances in cosmetics. ...
... 28. Scientific research and development normally takes place in quantities below 1 tonne per year. There is no need to exempt such research and development because substances in those quantities do not have to be registered in any case. However, in order to encourage innovation, product and process oriented research and development should be exempted from the obligation to register for a certain time period where a substance is not yet intended to be placed on the market to an indefinite number of customers because its application in preparations or articles still requires further research and development performed by the potential registrant himself or in cooperation with a limited number of known customers. In addition, it is appropriate to provide for a similar exemption to downstream users using the substance for the purposes of product and process oriented research and development, provided that the risks to human health and the environment are adequately controlled in accordance with the requirements of legislation for the protection of workers and the environment. ...
... 37. If tests are performed, they should comply with the relevant requirements of protection of laboratory animals, set out in Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes(10), and, in the case of ecotoxicological and toxicological tests, good laboratory practice, set out in Directive 2004/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on the harmonisation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the application of the principles of good laboratory practice and the verification of their application for tests on chemical substances(11). ...
... 37. If tests are performed, they should comply with the relevant requirements of protection of laboratory animals, set out in Council Directive 86/609/EEC of 24 November 1986 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes(10), and, in the case of ecotoxicological and toxicological tests, good laboratory practice, set out in Directive 2004/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on the harmonisation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the application of the principles of good laboratory practice and the verification of their application for tests on chemical substances(11). ...
... 40. The Commission, Member States, industry and other stakeholders should continue to contribute to the promotion of alternative test methods on an international and national level including computer supported methodologies, in vitro methodologies, such as appropriate, those based on toxicogenomics, and other relevant methodologies. The Community's strategy to promote alternative test methods is a priority and the Commission should ensure that within its future Research Framework Programmes and initiatives such as the Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of Animals 2006-2010 this remains a priority topic. Participation of stakeholders and initiatives involving all interested parties should be sought. ...
... 58. In order to have a chain of responsibilities, downstream users should be responsible for assessing the risks arising from their uses of substances if those uses are not covered by a safety data sheet received from their suppliers, unless the downstream user concerned takes more protective measures than those recommended by his supplier or unless his supplier was not required to assess those risks or provide him with information on those risks. For the same reason, downstream users should manage the risks arising from their uses of substances. In addition, it is appropriate that any producer or importer of an article containing a substance of very high concern should provide sufficient information to allow safe use of such an article. ...
... 69. To ensure a sufficiently high level of protection for human health, including having regard to relevant human population groups and possibly to certain vulnerable sub-populations, and the environment, substances of very high concern should, in accordance with the precautionary principle, be subject to careful attention. Authorisation should be granted where natural or legal persons applying for an authorisation demonstrate to the granting authority that the risks to human health and the environment arising from the use of the substance are adequately controlled. Otherwise, uses may still be authorised if it can be shown that the socio-economic benefits from the use of the substance outweigh the risks connected with its use and there are no suitable alternative substances or technologies that are economically and technically viable. Taking into account the good functioning of the internal market it is appropriate that the Commission should be the granting authority. ...
... 71. Methodologies to establish thresholds for carcinogenic and mutagenic substances may be developed taking into account the outcomes of RIPs. The relevant Annex may be amended on the basis of these methodologies to allow thresholds where appropriate to be used while ensuring a high level of protection of human health and the environment. ...
... 76. Experience at international level shows that substances with characteristics rendering them persistent, liable to bioaccumulate and toxic, or very persistent and very liable to bioaccumulate, present a very high concern, while criteria have been developed allowing the identification of such substances. For certain other substances concerns are sufficiently high to address them in the same way on a case-by-case basis. The criteria in Annex XIII should be reviewed taking into account the current and any new experience in the identification of these substances and if appropriate, be amended with a view to ensuring a high level of protection for human health and the environment. ...
... 80. The proper interaction between the provisions on authorisation and restriction should be ensured in order to preserve the efficient functioning of the internal market and the protection of human health, safety and the environment. Restrictions that exist when the substance in question is added to the list of substances for which applications for authorisation can be submitted, should be maintained for that substance. The Agency should consider whether the risk from substances in articles is adequately controlled and, if it is not, prepare a dossier in relation to introduction of further restrictions for substances for which the use requires authorisation. ...
... 86. It should be the responsibility of the manufacturer, importer and downstream user to identify the appropriate risk management measures needed to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment from the manufacturing, placing on the market or use of a substance on its own, in a preparation or in an article. However, where this is considered to be insufficient and where Community legislation is justified, appropriate restrictions should be laid down. ...
... 87. In order to protect human health and the environment, restrictions on the manufacture, placing on the market or use of a substance on its own, in a preparation or in an article may include any condition for, or prohibition of, the manufacture, placing on the market or use. Therefore it is necessary to list such restrictions and any amendments thereto. ...
... 111. It is important to avoid confusion between the mission of the Agency and the respective missions of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) established by Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency(13), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety(14) and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work set up by the Council Decision of 22 July 2003(15). Consequently, the Agency should establish rules of procedure where cooperation with the EFSA or the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work is necessary. This Regulation should otherwise be without prejudice to the competence conferred on the EMEA, the EFSA and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work by Community legislation. ...
... 111. It is important to avoid confusion between the mission of the Agency and the respective missions of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) established by Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency(13), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety(14) and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work set up by the Council Decision of 22 July 2003(15). Consequently, the Agency should establish rules of procedure where cooperation with the EFSA or the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work is necessary. This Regulation should otherwise be without prejudice to the competence conferred on the EMEA, the EFSA and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work by Community legislation. ...
... 111. It is important to avoid confusion between the mission of the Agency and the respective missions of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) established by Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 31 March 2004 laying down Community procedures for the authorisation and supervision of medicinal products for human and veterinary use and establishing a European Medicines Agency(13), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) established by Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety(14) and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work set up by the Council Decision of 22 July 2003(15). Consequently, the Agency should establish rules of procedure where cooperation with the EFSA or the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work is necessary. This Regulation should otherwise be without prejudice to the competence conferred on the EMEA, the EFSA and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work by Community legislation. ...
... 112. In order to achieve the functioning of the internal market for substances on their own or in preparations, while at the same time ensuring a high level of protection for human health and the environment, rules should be established for a classification and labelling inventory. ...
... 114. To ensure a harmonised protection for the general public, and, in particular, for persons who come into contact with certain substances, and the proper functioning of other Community legislation relying on the classification and labelling, an inventory should record the classification in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC and Directive 1999/45/EC agreed by manufacturers and importers of the same substance, if possible, as well as decisions taken at Community level to harmonise the classification and labelling of some substances. This should take full account of the work and experience accumulated in connection with the activities under Directive 67/548/EEC, including the classification and labelling of specific substances or groups of substances listed in Annex I of Directive 67/548/EEC. ...
... 131. The Regulation observes the fundamental rights and principles which are acknowledged in particular in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union(24). In particular, it seeks to ensure full compliance with the principles of environmental protection and sustainable development guaranteed by Article 37 of that Charter, ...


ARTICLE-1: Aim and scope     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 1. The purpose of this Regulation is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards of substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. ...


ARTICLE-2: Application     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (a) radioactive substances within the scope of Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation(1); ...
... (c) medical devices which are invasive or used in direct physical contact with the human body in so far as Community measures lay down provisions for the classification and labelling of dangerous substances and preparations which ensure the same level of information provision and protection as Directive 1999/45/EC; ...


ARTICLE-9: Exemption from the general obligation to register for product and process orientated research and development (PPORD)     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 4. The Agency may decide to impose conditions with the aim of ensuring that the substance or the preparation or article in which the substance is incorporated will be handled only by staff of listed customers as referred to in paragraph 2(e) in reasonably controlled conditions, in accordance with the requirements of legislation for the protection of workers and the environment, and will not be made available to the general public at any time either on its own or in a preparation or article and that remaining quantities will be re-collected for disposal after the exemption period. In such cases, the Agency may ask the notifier to provide additional necessary information. ...


ARTICLE-15: Substances in plant protection and biocidal products     [go to this ARTICLE]
... Substances in plant protection and biocidal products ...
... 1. Active substances and co-formulants manufactured or imported for use in plant protection products only and included either in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC(1)or in Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92(2), Regulation (EC) No 703/2001(3), Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002(4), Decision 2003/565/EC(5)and for any substance for which a Commission Decision on the completeness of the dossier has been taken pursuant to Article 6 Directive 91/414/EEC shall be regarded as being registered and the registration as completed for manufacture or import for the use as a plant protection product and therefore as fulfilling the requirements of Chapters 1 and 5 of this Title. ...
... 1. Active substances and co-formulants manufactured or imported for use in plant protection products only and included either in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC(1)or in Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92(2), Regulation (EC) No 703/2001(3), Regulation (EC) No 1490/2002(4), Decision 2003/565/EC(5)and for any substance for which a Commission Decision on the completeness of the dossier has been taken pursuant to Article 6 Directive 91/414/EEC shall be regarded as being registered and the registration as completed for manufacture or import for the use as a plant protection product and therefore as fulfilling the requirements of Chapters 1 and 5 of this Title. ...
... Council Directive 91/414/EEC of 15 July 1991 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (OJ L 230, 19.8.1991, p. 1). Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2006/19/EC (OJ L 44, 15.2.2006, p. 15). ...
... Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3600/92 of 11 December 1992 laying down the detailed rules for the implementation of the first stage of the programme of work referred to in Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/414/EEC concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market (OJ L 366, 15.12.1992, p. 10). Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 2266/2000 (OJ L 259, 13.10.2000, p. 27). ...
... Commission Regulation (EC) No 703/2001 of 6 April 2001 laying down the active substances of plant protection products to be assessed in the second stage of the work programme referred to in Article 8(2) of Council Directive 91/414/EEC and revising the list of Member States designated as rapporteurs for those substances (OJ L 98, 7.4.2001, p. 6). ...


ARTICLE-31: Requirements for Safety Data Sheets     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 4. The safety data sheet need not be supplied where dangerous substances or preparations offered or sold to the general public are provided with sufficient information to enable users to take the necessary measures as regards the protection of human health, safety and the environment, unless requested by a downstream user or distributor. ...
... 8. exposure controls/personal protection; ...


ARTICLE-37: Downstream user chemical safety assessments and duty to identify, apply and recommend risk reduction measures     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 3. For registered substances, the manufacturer, importer or downstream user shall comply with the obligations laid down in Article 14 either before he next supplies the substance on its own or in a preparation to the downstream user making the request referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article, provided that the request was made at least one month before the supply, or within one month after the request, whichever is the later. For phase-in substances, the manufacturer, importer or downstream user shall comply with this request and with the obligations laid down in Article 14 before the relevant deadline in Article 23 has expired, provided that the downstream user makes his request at least 12 months before the deadline in question. Where the manufacturer, importer or downstream user, having assessed the use in accordance with Article 14, is unable to include it as an identified use for reasons of protection of human health or the environment, he shall provide the Agency and the downstream user with the reason(s) for that decision in writing without delay and shall not supply downstream user(s) with the substance without including these reason(s) in the information referred to under Articles 31 or 32. The manufacturer or importer shall include this use in section 3.7 of Annex VI in his update of the registration in accordance with Article 22(1)(d). ...
... (e) the substance is present in a preparation in a concentration lower than any of the concentrations set out in Article 14(2); (f) the downstream user is using the substance for the purposes of product and process oriented research and development, provided that the risks to human health and the environment are adequately controlled in accordance with the requirements of legislation for the protection of workers and the environment. ...


ARTICLE-56: General provisions     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (a) uses in plant protection products within the scope of Directive 91/414/EEC; ...


ARTICLE-58: Inclusion of substances in Annex XIV     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. Uses or categories of uses may be exempted from the authorisation requirement provided that, on the basis of the existing specific Community legislation imposing minimum requirements relating to the protection of human health or the environment for the use of the substance, the risk is properly controlled. In the establishment of such exemptions, account shall be taken, in particular, of the proportionality of risk to human health and the environment related to the nature of the substance, such as where the risk is modified by the physical form. ...


ARTICLE-87: Rapporteurs of Committees and use of experts     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) if it is compatible with the duties of the Agency, in particular the need to provide a high level of protection of human health and the environment. ...


ARTICLE-110: Relations with relevant Community bodies     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 4. The Executive Director, having consulted the Committee on Risk Assessment, the Committee on Socio-economic Analysis and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, shall establish rules of procedure concerning worker protection issues. These rules of procedure shall be adopted by the Management Board, in agreement with the Commission. This Title shall not affect the competences vested in the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work and the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work. ...
... 4. The Executive Director, having consulted the Committee on Risk Assessment, the Committee on Socio-economic Analysis and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, shall establish rules of procedure concerning worker protection issues. These rules of procedure shall be adopted by the Management Board, in agreement with the Commission. This Title shall not affect the competences vested in the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work and the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work. ...
... 4. The Executive Director, having consulted the Committee on Risk Assessment, the Committee on Socio-economic Analysis and the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work, shall establish rules of procedure concerning worker protection issues. These rules of procedure shall be adopted by the Management Board, in agreement with the Commission. This Title shall not affect the competences vested in the Advisory Committee on Safety, Hygiene and Health Protection at Work and the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work. ...


ARTICLE-118: Access to information     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. Disclosure of the following information shall normally be deemed to undermine the protection of the commercial interests of the concerned person: ...
... Where urgent action is essential to protect human health, safety or the environment, such as emergency situations, the Agency may disclose the information referred to in this paragraph. ...


ARTICLE-120: Cooperation with third countries and international organisations     [go to this ARTICLE]
... (b) the third party protects the confidential information as mutually agreed. ...


ARTICLE-123: Communication to the public of information on risks of substances     [go to this ARTICLE]
... The competent authorities of the Member States shall inform the general public about the risks arising from substances where this is considered necessary for the protection of human health or the environment. The Agency, in consultation with competent authorities and stakeholders and drawing as appropriate on relevant best practice, shall provide guidance for the communication of information on the risks and safe use of chemical substances, on their own, in preparations or in articles, with a view to coordinating Member States in these activities. ...


ARTICLE-128: Free movement     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 2. Nothing in this Regulation shall prevent Member States from maintaining or laying down national rules to protect workers, human health and the environment applying in cases where this Regulation does not harmonise the requirements on manufacture, placing on the market or use. ...


ARTICLE-129: Safeguard clause     [go to this ARTICLE]
... 1. Where a Member State has justifiable grounds for believing that urgent action is essential to protect human health or the environment in respect of a substance, on its own, in a preparation or in an article, even if satisfying the requirements of this Regulation, it may take appropriate provisional measures. The Member State shall immediately inform the Commission, the Agency and the other Member States thereof, giving reasons for its decision and submitting the scientific or technical information on which the provisional measure is based. ...


... (b) the need, if any, to register certain types of polymer, taking account of competitiveness and innovation on the one hand and the protection of human health and the environment on the other. ...
... 9. In accordance with the objective of promoting non-animal testing and the replacement, reduction or refinement of animal testing required under this Regulation, the Commission shall review the testing requirements of Section 8.7 of Annex VIII by 1 June 2019. On the basis of this review, while ensuring a high level of protection of health and the environment, the Commission may propose an amendment in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 133(4). ...