On June 1, 2007, the new legislation REACH entered into force. REACH stands for Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemical substances. Under REACH, enterprises that manufacture or import more than one metric tonne of a chemical substance per year will be required to register their substance with the European Chemicals Agency, ECHA.

The aims of the legislation are to improve the protection of human health and the environment by placing greater responsibility on industry to manage the risks of chemicals and provide safety information on these substances. This information needs to be communicated up and down the supply chain. Manufacturers and importers will be required to gather information on the properties of their substances, which will assist them in providing appropriate risk management measures.