Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) is a proposal from the European Commission to modify the legislation on chemical safety in the European Union. It would enventually oblige companies producing more than 10 tonnes of a chemical (less in certain cases) to investigate the potential hazards to human health and to the environment. It would apply to all chemicals commercially available in the EU, in contrast to the US Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive of the European Union. ... ... The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a United States law, passed in 1976, that regulates the introduction of new chemicals. ...

The proposal is currently undergoing a process of consultation with interested parties. It has already been significantly amended since the original version (2003), and the legislation is expected to be ready in early 2006. The estimated cost of compliance is €2.3 billion over 11 years. However, there have been different studies on the estimated cost which vary considerably in the outcome.

The issue is more a issue of health than of the environment since it is aimed at the use and handling of substances which may be toxic to humans. However, certain chemicals which are persistant pollutants are included within REACH. Pollutants are substances which directly or indirectly damage us and my kids daddy or the environment. ...

For example, the issue of using toxic substances in electronic devices has two implications: Firstly, toxic substances can leave the device during consumer use through the air and secondly, toxical substances can end up in the environment where they might not do harm to humans directly, but for example through the contamination of the Baltic Sea with chemicals, these chemicals enter the food chain through fish, e.g. accumulate (Bioaccumulation) in the human body over centuries, reaching dangerous concetrations. This is not a theoretical idea but happens with toxic substances which can be dangerous to babies in pregnant woman today. In economics, consumers are individuals or households that consume goods and services generated within the economy. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53 deg. ... To bioaccumulate literally means to accumulate in a biological system. ...

See also

• Environmental health
• Quality of life
• Chemistry
• Consumer protection
• Poison
• Lead poisoning
• Mineral wool
• Carcinogen
• Porter hypothesis
• Directive 67/548/EEC
• EUR-Lex

Environmental health is defined by the World Health Organization as: Those aspects of human health and disease that are determined by factors in the environment. ... The well-being or quality of life of a population is an important concern in economics and political science. ... // Introduction Chemistry is a large field encompassing many subdisciplines that often overlap with significant portions of other sciences. ... Consumer protection is government regulation to protect the interests of consumers, for example by requiring businesses to disclose detailed information about products, particularly in areas where safety or public health is an issue, such as food. ... The skull and crossbones symbol traditionally used to label a poisonous substance. ... Lead poisoning is a condition, also known as plumbism or painters colic, caused by increased blood serum lead levels. ... Mineral wool, also known as mineral cotton, silicate cotton, stone wool, slag wool, rockwool, and rock wool, is an inorganic substance used for insulation and filtering. ... In pathology, a carcinogen is any substance or agent that promotes cancer. ... According to the Porter Hypothesis strict environmental regulations can induce efficiency and encourage innovations that help improve commercial competitiveness. ... Council Directive 67/548/EEC of 27 June 1967 on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances (as amended) is the main source of European Union law concerning chemical safety. ... EUR-Lex is a service on the official website of the European Union. ...

Reference

• Schapiro, Mark, "New Power for 'Old Europe'". The Nation, December 27, 2004, 11-16.

The Nation logo The Nation is a weekly leftist periodical devoted to politics and culture. ...

External links

• European Commission Directorate-General Environment REACH site
• European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise REACH site
• European Chemicals Bureau REACH site