Explore the issues

 

 Health threats

 Cutting the risk

 Safer future

 

What is REACH?

 

REACH in 2008

REACH Explained
My Voice: A Consumer Guide
How you can demand better protection of human health and the environmnent from hazardous chemicals

Navigating REACH
An activists' guide to using and improving the new EU chemicals legislation

More background on REACH

 

National campaigns

 
Links to campaign pages across the EU
  

Events


"Think about REACH while on the BEACH..." - Call to MEPs to think about - and improve - the new chemicals policy over the summer break.
(12 July 2006, European Parliament, Brussels)

"Don't dwarf REACH"- 100 garden gnomes accompanied by Friends of the Earth activists gathered by the European Parliament
(15 November 2005, Strasbourg)
  
100 gnomes carrying toxic symbols gathered by the European institutions

(04 October 2005, Brussels)

Toxic Ted and participants in our "REACH made easy" seminar
(January 2005)
    

Useful links

Chemical Reaction

European Environmental Bureau

Greenpeace European Unit

HEAL

Pesticide Watch

WECF nesting project

WWF EPO

REACH in 2008

Friends of the Earth Europe, alongside other environmental, health and consumer NGOs continued to monitor and work on the Implementation of REACH to ensure that it delivers the highest possible level of protection for human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals.

Pre-registration started on 1 June 2008 and ended 1 December 2008. It involved the industry submitting limited information about substances they import or produce such as the name of the substance, the details of the pre-registrant and the tonnage band of the substance to the European Chemicals Agency. For more information see the Agency's website

The list project - under the auspices of the International Chemical Secretariat, and in cooperation with science and business communities, the NGOs prepared a candidate list for the substances subject to authorisation under REACH. The list contains substances for which there is scientific evidence that they fulfill the criteria of Article 57 of the Regulation (and therefore are considered to be Substances of Very High Concern). The aim of this project was to ensure that authorisation is an effective tool to fast-track the most urgent Substances of Very High Concern for substitution, and to facilitate toxic use reduction by businesses. The final result of this project is called REACH SIN list and was launched at the ChemSec Substitution Conference on 17 September 2008 in Brussels.

picture
Photo credit: chemicosystems.com

Agency watch - the NGOs monitor developments in the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), operational since 1 June 2008. The NGO representative to the Management Board of ECHA raise pertinent concerns on behalf of civil society, while the NGOs at Brussels and national levels are following the work of the Agency's committees and other issues of relevance, particularly in terms of independence of experts and transparency of ECHA decision-making.
Further information

Reviews of annexes - REACH contains many opportunities for improvement but also threats of weakening the legislation throughout the numerous reviews and revisions. The NGOs participate in a Commission subgroup for the preparation of the reviews of the REACH Annexes, through our representative, Ninja Reineke, from the WWF European Policy Office. The reviews in 2008 involved the following:
* a revision of the list of exemptions to registration, evaluation and information in the supply chain (Annexes IV and V),
* possible introduction of new thresholds for carcinogens and mutagens (Annex I)
* new criteria defining what constitutes adequate justification for not carrying out certain safety tests (Annex XI) and
* review of the criteria for identifying substances that are Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) or that are Very Persistent and Very Bioaccumulative (vPvB) (Annex XIII).

For further information contact Ninja Reineke at nreineke@wwfepo.org

National implementation work - the Competent Authorities in the EU member states are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of REACH Regulation. FoEE member groups will be monitoring and providing input to their work. For more information contact your national NGO or Competent Authority

 

 

Press releases


24 July 2008
Consumers left at risk as EFSA ignores scientific consensus on Bisphenol A

10 July 2008
NEW REPORT: Regulators shirking responsibility on Bisphenol A - Harmful chemical should be regulated under REACH

27 May 2008
New European Chemicals Agency must act on hazardous chemicals

more      

Briefings

Notes on the European Commission's proposal to create Multi--National Authorisation Zones under COM
 

Letters

Open letter to Commissioners Dimas and Verheugen with recommendations for REACH's reviews and for the new Chemicals Agency

Letter to MEPs regarding a cynical advert by CEFIC in the European Voice (November 2006)
Original CEFIC Ad
FoEE spoof of CEFIC ad

more


 
 

Publications

 

 Bisphenol A in plastics: is it making us sick? A consumer guide to Bisphenol A

Blissfully unaware of Bisphenol A: Reasons why regulators should live up to their responsibilities A comprehensive review of the scientific knowledge available
regarding controversial Bisphenol A

more

To receive a hard copy of any of these publications please contact info@foeeurope.org