REACH

New European Union legislation requires companies to provide detailed information on chemicals.

Disclaimer
These materials are a guide only and are not intended to provide in-depth regulatory or legal review that may be required to properly determine your company’s requirements under Reach. Regulatory and legal questions should be raised to an expert in the field and with legal counsel.

Since 2006 ExxonMobil has been moving quickly to comply with the new European Union regulation commonly referred to as REACH (for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals). REACH was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in December 2006 and entered into force on June 1, 2007.

REACH is one of the most complex and far reaching Chemical regulations ever adopted by the European legislature and it will impact all of industry including the Chemicals, Refining & Supply, Lubricants & Specialties and Fuels Marketing businesses of ExxonMobil. In the eyes of the REACH legislation, fuels, oils, waxes, lubes and many gases are all chemicals.

The legislation requires industry to mitigate the risks from these chemicals by providing information on their properties and risks and registering that data with a central agency. What this, in effect, means is that the responsibility for ensuring that chemicals are used safely is shifted from the regulatory authorities to the manufacturers and importers of the chemicals.

The goal is to provide a greater level of protection for humans and the environment by ensuring that proper information on handling, storage and chemical make-up together with risk management measures, if appropriate, are readily available.