Heralded as the dawn of a new age for European Chemical evaluation and regulation, REACH revitalised the laws governing the chemical industry and offered a single piece of legislation.
Complex and perhaps even radical, the REACH concept became as contentious as it was revolutionary and is thought to have been frowned upon by many in the industrial chemical and gases sectors.
The new EU regulation came into effect as law on 1st June this year, after the final draft document was given approval on 13th December 2006 and received the official go-ahead from the EU’s Council of Ministers 5 days later.
So how will the implementation of REACH affect the industrial gases industry?
Aimed at improving the protection of human health and the environment while maintaining competitiveness and enhancing innovation, it is also hoped that the new regulation will give the industry greater responsibility to manage the risks from products, chemicals and gases. Not all gases apply, however. Most of the air gases and naturally occurring gases are not required to be registered and authorised, meaning that REACH will potentially have no impact on around 75 percent of the industrial gases business.
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