REACH is a new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use (EC 1907/2006).   It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances. The new law entered into force on 1 June 2007 and its provisions are phased in over 11 years.

REACH creates a general obligation for EU manufacturers and importers of substances to submit a registration to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki for each substance manufactured or imported in quantities of 1 tonne or above per year.   The regulation exempts certain substances that are adequately regulated under other legislation, like medicinal products, or that generaly present such low risks as not to require registration, like water, oxygen, certain noble gases, and cellulose pulp.