EU REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is one of the most consequential pieces of chemical regulation ever enacted. Since coming into force in 2007, it has fundamentally changed how chemicals are manufactured, imported, and used across Europe — and, through its global influence on supply chains, well beyond.
Yet many chemical buyers — even those who regularly procure chemicals for EU-destined products — have only a partial understanding of their REACH obligations. This guide aims to fix that.
The Basics: What REACH Requires
REACH operates on the principle that manufacturers and importers of chemicals bear the burden of demonstrating safety — not regulators. Key pillars:
- Registration: Substances manufactured or imported into the EU at ≥1 tonne/year must be registered with ECHA. Registration requires a technical dossier covering hazard, exposure, and risk.
- Evaluation: ECHA and member states can evaluate registrations and request additional information from registrants.
- Authorisation: Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) on the Authorisation List (Annex XIV) require specific authorisation to use or place on the market after a sunset date.
- Restriction: REACH can restrict manufacture, use, or placing on market for substances posing unacceptable risk.
What Chemical Buyers Need to Know
Downstream User Obligations
If you purchase chemicals for use in the EU (even if you're not the importer), you are a "downstream user" under REACH and have specific obligations:
- Your use must be covered by your supplier's exposure scenario in their extended SDS
- If your use is not covered, you must notify your supplier or conduct your own chemical safety assessment
- For SVHC substances, you must notify ECHA if you supply articles containing SVHCs above 0.1% w/w
REACH compliance is not a box to tick — it's an ongoing obligation that changes as both the regulatory landscape and your chemical portfolio evolve.
The SVHC Candidate List
The SVHC Candidate List currently contains 240+ substances, including many that have been in industrial use for decades. Key implications:
- Article producers must notify consumers within 45 days if articles contain SVHC above 0.1% w/w (by weight of the article)
- SVHCs on the Authorisation List (Annex XIV) require authorisation to use after their sunset date
- The list is updated twice yearly — monitoring it is an ongoing requirement
REACH Registration Numbers: What They Tell You
When purchasing chemicals, always verify that your supplier has provided a REACH registration number where required. A registration number in the format 01-XXXXXXXXXX-CC-XXXX indicates the substance has been registered with ECHA. If a substance manufactured/imported at ≥1 tonne/year doesn't have a registration number, it shouldn't be on the EU market — and your use of it creates REACH liability for you.
How Acme Chemicals Supports Your REACH Compliance
All Acme Chemicals products are assessed against REACH requirements. We provide:
- Updated extended Safety Data Sheets (eSDS) with exposure scenarios for all registered substances
- SVHC status confirmation letters for articles and mixtures
- Proactive notification when your products are affected by new SVHC listings or restriction proposals
- Support for uses not covered by standard exposure scenarios (identified use notifications)
Our REACH compliance team of 18 specialists monitors all ECHA committee opinions, proposal consultations, and restriction decisions on a daily basis — ensuring you receive actionable information as soon as it becomes relevant to your business.