What is Reach?

(Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation.)

REACH regulation, which corresponds to the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Abbreviation of Chemicals, aimed to protect human health and the environment by restricting the use of certain hazardous substances in products manufactured and sold in the European Union, and entered into force in 2007 in order to increase competitiveness at the same time.

In principle, REACH applies to all chemicals; those used not only in industrial processes, but also in our daily lives, for example in cleaning products, paints, but also in articles such as clothing, furniture and electrical appliances. Therefore, regulation has an impact on most companies in the EU.

REACH places the burden of proof on companies. To comply with regulation, companies must identify and manage the risks associated with the substances they manufacture and market in the EU. They need to show ECHA how the substance can be used safely and communicate risk management measures to users.

If risks cannot be managed, authorities may restrict substance use in different ways. In the long run, the most dangerous substances should be replaced with less dangerous ones.

REACH means Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on 1 June 2007.

For potentially hazardous substances to be covered by REACH, they must be defined as Substances Very High Concern (SVHC) by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) at the request of member states or the European Commission. Once a substance has been approved as SVHC, it is added to the Candidate List. REACH annex XVII, also known as the restricted substances list, restricts the production, use and marketing of certain substances, whether licensed or not, throughout the EU.

Company Requirements Under REACH

Within the framework of the EU REACH Regulation, it has given the industry the responsibility to monitor and disclose hazardous chemicals in products manufactured and sold in the European Union. If a product contains substances above the threshold determined from the Candidate List, companies are required to notify downstream customers and ECHA of the presence of these substances and provide potentially safe handling instructions.

SEA (Classification, Labeling, Packaging) Regulation

On 11 December 2013, the “Regulation on Classification, Labeling and Packaging of Substances and Mixtures” was officially published with the law numbered 28848. The main objectives of the regulation are to carry out the Classification, Labeling and Packaging stages of chemicals (mixtures or substances) in accordance with the structure and characteristics of the chemical with standard applications on a global scale. Accordingly, different classification, labeling and packaging between countries, which are encountered during the international circulation of chemicals, will be prevented, and the circulation between countries will be carried out without any problems.

The regulation relates to suppliers of chemicals and mixtures, in this context

• Substance manufacturers and importers

• Importers of mixtures

• Lower level users of chemicals and mixtures (including those dealing with formulation)

• Chemical and mix distributors, including retailers.

Persons dealing with these works are required to carry out Classification, Labeling and Packaging processes in accordance with the provisions of SEA before offering the chemical substances and mixtures to the Turkish market.

The provisions of the SEA operate with the logic of a guide and are specifically aimed at clarifying the following:

• What to consider when calculating the required label size

• Information that can be presented as additional information and their location on labels

• Exemptions for small packages

• Interaction between SEA and transport labeling rules

• Methods for selecting the appropriate set of Precautionary Statements for tags.