After acknowledging a decade since the launch of REACH, the EU chemicals regulation body, Cefic has announced its hopes for its continued success.

Cefic gathered representatives from industry, authorities and politics to discuss chemical management’s legislative strengthening in coming decades. Cefic also discussed the future of REACH in Britain.

Erwin Annys, Cefic’s REACH Director, said: “Industry’s main priority is – now that we have the benefit of ten years’ experience, to enhance our focus on quality improvement to make sure REACH has a bright future.

“Prior to the advent of REACH, authorities evaluated 141 substances in 15 years, he said. Since REACH, this has increased to 30,000 substances registered over the last ten years – a testimony to the joint work of industry and authorities. This is a step-by-step approach that takes continuous improvement and we look forward to the next decades of cooperation with authorities.”

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Chemical safety

REACH, or the European regulations on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, is complex and evolving -  for chemical manufacturers, innovating involves looking at product portfolios and predicting developments, so laws avoid wasted investment in new products.

Silvia Segna, representative of the UK Chemicals Industry Association (CIA), said chemical regulations will become much more complex in the UK, as Brexit negotiations unfold: “Copy and paste is not possible where REACH is concerned, because some laws just cannot be directly copied in UK law. Some changes will certainly have to be proposed by the UK government, using secondary legislation,”

A recent public enquiry into REACH by the House of Commons in the UK sought to examine this, and further work will need to be done to ensure that chemicals imported into Europe meet high standards for health and environmental safety. Meanwhile, CIA advocate Britain pay, if necessary, to maintain participation in REACH. Its priority is tariff-free access to the single market, plus regulatory consistency.