REACH stands for “Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals”. The regulation applies to all companies within the EU that manufacture, import, use or place products on the market - regardless of whether they are pure substances, mixtures or articles.

So-called downstream users, such as manufacturers of paints, cleaning agents or adhesives, are also affected. The aim is to protect human health and the environment through better chemicals management - and this ultimately affects almost all industries.

Yes, absolutely. The obligations under REACH are not based on the size of your company, but on the nature of your activities with chemical substances. Even if you only import or use small quantities, registration or information obligations may apply. Registration is also required for “non-hazardous” substances but certain exemptions may apply.

SMEs often face the challenge of not having the necessary personnel or technical capacity - this is where we provide support with practical advice and tailor-made solutions.

A downstream user is a company that uses chemical substances as part of its commercial activities - e.g. to manufacture a product or formulation.

As a downstream user, you must check whether the use of the substance is covered by your supplier's REACH registration. If not, you must either communicate with the supplier, prepare a so-called “Downstream User Chemical Safety Report” yourself or develop another strategy.

We will help you to analyze your position in the supply chain and implement all obligations efficiently.

REACH obliges companies to actively communicate within the supply chain. Manufacturers and importers must pass on information on safe uses, hazards and protective measures to downstream users - e.g. via safety data sheets or exposure scenarios. Conversely, users are obliged to report back their uses if they are not covered.

Effective supply chain communication is therefore essential to avoid liability risks and ensure compliance with REACH.

We support you in creating, checking and passing on all relevant information.

A safety data sheet is a standardized document that contains comprehensive information about a chemical substance or mixture: Classification, hazards, protective measures, storage, disposal and much more. It serves to ensure safe handling along the entire supply chain. If you supply or process substances, you are obliged to provide or use up-to-date and correct SDSs.

We create and maintain your safety data sheets - also multilingual and country-specific on request.

PBT stands for Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic. vPvB means very Persistent and very Bioaccumulative. Such substances pose an increased risk to the environment and health and are subject to special monitoring under REACH. As soon as a substance is classified as PBT or vPvB, this can lead to additional obligations - such as information obligations, restrictions or even authorization requirements.

We monitor the classification of your substances for you and support you in making the necessary adjustments to your documentation and communication.

A registration begins with the identification of the substance and a check as to whether there is an obligation to register. Comprehensive data on properties, uses and risk management must then be collected. This is transferred into a technical dossier, which is submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) via the IUCLID system.

Depending on the quantity of the substance, exposure scenarios, chemical safety reports and studies are also required.

We can handle the entire registration process for you or provide you with selective support as required.

An Only Representative is a legal role within the EU. The party being appointed as Only Representative takes on REACH obligations for a company outside the EU.

If you are a company outside Europe and do manufacture or formulate and export your products to the EU, we can act as your Only Representative. This means that we take over the registration obligations - your European customers are then considered downstream users and do not have to deal with REACH themselves.

This makes your products more attractive for the EU market and ensures smooth business relations.

The first step is to check whether your substances are covered by REACH and whether you use them in a role that involves obligations (e.g. manufacturer, importer, downstream user).

Then you should check whether the substance has already been registered or whether there is a need for action. Even if you only resell or use substances, you should ensure that your suppliers are REACH-compliant.

We carry out an individual substance and role check for you - and show you which specific steps are necessary.