On 1 June 2007 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals[1] ("REACH" for short) came into force.

REACH contains the following regulations:

1. From 1 June 2008, manufacturers of substances, and importers of substances as such or of substances in preparations (mixtures) into the European Community (EC) and the European Economic Area (EEA), must register these substances with the European Chemicals Agency if the substances in question are manufactured or imported in quantities of at least 1 t/a[2] and if they are not substances that are exempted from compulsory registration. So-called "phase-in substances" – these are, for example, substances that are shown on the existing substances list EINECS – can be pre-registered between 1 June 2008 and 1 December 2008. Pre-registered substances do not have to be registered until later[3], depending on the quantity manufactured/imported.

2. Suppliers of substances and preparations must provide the recipient with either a safety data sheet[4] or safety information[5]. In certain cases, the safety data sheet will be supplemented by an annex[6] ("extended safety data sheet") showing the relevant exposure scenarios (including use and exposure categories where appropriate).

3. Manufacturers and importers of articles that are intended to release a substance under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use must likewise register the substance concerned if its total content in the articles is more than 1 t/a[7]. For this purpose, the same registration periods apply as in the case of 1.

4. Manufacturers and importers of articles that contain more than 0.1 mass percent per article of a substance on the "candidate list" shall provide the professional recipient and on request a consumer of the article with sufficient information to allow safe use of the article, including, as a minimum, the name of that substance[8].

5. From June 1, 2008, users of chemicals (substances and preparations/mixtures) – so-called "downstream users" – will have to comply with other obligations, but in some cases only after they have received an extended safety data sheet. Downstream users can provide appropriate information so as to assist the manufacturers of substances and importers of substances and preparations in registering them.[9]