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1 1 (March 19, 2008)

handle is hein.crs/crsajoi0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS22673 Updated March 19, 2008 Chemical Regulation in the European Union: Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals Linda-Jo Schierow Specialist in Environmental Policy Resources, Science, and Industry Division Summary On June 1, 2007, the European Union (EU) began to implement a new law, Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), in EU commerce. It is intended to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals while at the same time protecting the competitiveness of European industry. REACH evolved over eight years and reflects compromises reached among EU stakeholders. The final regulation reduces and coordinates EU regulatory requirements for chemicals new to the EU market and increases collection of such information for chemicals already in the EU market, thus potentially removing disincentives to innovation. It also shifts responsibility for safety assessments from government to industry and encourages substitution of less toxic for more toxic chemicals in various chemical applications. The Bush Administration expressed concerns about its trade implications for U.S.-produced chemicals. U.S. chemical industry representatives believe that REACH is impractical. In contrast, some public-interest groups are urging U.S. legislators to adopt a similar legislative approach. Depending on one's point of view, new chemicals legislation in the European Union (EU) is likely to vastly improve environmental and public health protections and serve as a model for future U.S. law, or it might unnecessarily burden commercial enterprises with regulations and interfere with international trade. The subject of such conjecture is a new EU law for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in EU commerce, which went into force June 1, 2007. Background On June 1, 2007, the EU began to implement a new approach to the management of chemicals in EU commerce. The REACH directive simplifies and consolidates more than 40 former regulations in an effort to balance two EU goals: to protect public health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and to ensure the continuing competitiveness of European industry. Although certain chemicals are exempt entirely, and requirements

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