EU REACH Regulation
EU REACH Regulation is Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals, which governs chemicals manufactured in or imported into the EU, including chemicals in finished articles.
What it requires
Manufacturers and importers of a substance at one tonne or more a year must register it with ECHA. Suppliers of articles containing a Candidate List substance of very high concern above 0.1% by weight must inform business customers and, on request, consumers within 45 days, and, under the Waste Framework Directive, notify ECHA's SCIP database. The Candidate List had 253 entries in 2026. Annex XVII restricts substances in articles, such as certain PFAS and phthalates. In April 2026 the Commission set aside a full revision of REACH.
Why it matters
REACH reaches e-commerce through restricted substances and SVHC disclosure duties on imported consumer goods. The EU importer, which may be the brand or its EU entity, must know whether products contain SVHCs above 0.1% and must not sell articles that breach Annex XVII restrictions. For example, a brand importing PVC rain jackets into the EU must confirm phthalate content against REACH restrictions, and it must answer a consumer's SVHC question within 45 days, so supplier test reports and material declarations need to be on file.
Related laws
- EU RoHS Directive2003, recast 2011 · EU limits on hazardous substances in electronics
- EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR)2023, applies from 2024 · Safety, labeling, and EU contact rules for products
- California Proposition 651986, warning rules amended 2025 · California warning law for listed chemicals
Sources
- ECHA: Understanding REACH echa.europa.eu
- ECHA: Candidate List of substances of very high concern echa.europa.eu
Not legal advice.