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REACH

The Business Challenge of REACH

The new EU chemicals regulation, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization of Chemicls (REACH), which came into force on June 1st 2007, is a significant and far-reaching piece of regulation impacting the development, manufacture, marketing and use of chemicals not only in the EU, but also globally. It will strongly influence the way product value chains view their use of chemical substances (e.g. removing substances of very high concern or SVHC) to avoid product stigmatisation. It may cause chemical manufacturers to cease production of some substances to avoid significant authorisation costs.

How Will it Affect Industry?

REACH represents a major challenge for producers, importers and users of chemicals. It also impacts producers and importers of finished articles. It will impact virtually every industry sector. Included will be the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and food industries; the metal, automotive, general appliance and electronics industries; and the textile and leather industries. REACH will change the availability of process or product critical chemicals. It will change operating costs, market access and the predictability of demand. In this new business environment, company revenues and margins need to be protected through appropriate business risk assessments and pre-planning to minimise the risks and maximise competitive opportunities.

Our Expertise

Our multidisciplinary scientific staff specialises in supporting businesses and their products. Our scientists use their toxicology and risk assessment skills to assist clients deal with the entire spectrum of issues related to risk. Their scientific, regulatory and industry experience provides unique insight for supporting a client’s product throughout its lifecycle. Our understanding and application of toxicological data to risk characterisation and management has been employed over the past 25 years across a wide range of products including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, food additives, chemicals, agro-chemicals and biocides.

The Weinberg Group brings this extensive experience to assist clients in dealing with REACH. On behalf of a number of clients, we have been closely involved in the development of REACH, through which we have acquired an in-depth knowledge of its technical, regulatory and political dimensions. This enables us to provide clients - whether manufacturers, importers or downstream users - with both the strategic and technical support for products that are under pressure because of the ambiguities that will invariably be associated with REACH and its implementation.

Our Offer

The Weinberg Group can provide a range of REACH-related services (including only representative services) geared to chemicals manufacturers and importers as well as downstream users.


For more information, please contact:

Dr. Kevin Bradley, Senior Director, +32 2.626.11.70 kevin.bradley@weinberggroup.com

Ms. Nirmala (Nim) Ranggasami, Consultant, +32 2.626.11.70 nirmala.ranggasami@weinberggroup.com

Recent REACH Activity

REACH Breakfast

The Weinberg Group hosted a breakfast in DC titled “Implementing REACH in the EU – How Will it be Shaped by Politics and Practicalities?” on November 13th to hear the current status of the EU’s preparation for REACH from Malachy Hargadon of the Commission’s mission to the EU. Kevin Bradley of The Weinberg Group, a former Commission official, also discussed how his experience shaped his views on the tactics that the EU will adopt to cope. Finally, Aoife Clarke, who operates the highly regarded Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) REACH help-desk, discussed the practical questions that Irish industry brings to her and what concerns her most. Understanding the manner in which administrative discretion may affect how industry submissions will be received, processed, analyzed and dealt with, is key to an effective REACH strategy. Below are the three presentations from the breakfast.

Malachy Hargadon
Overview of the current status of REACH Implementation

Kevin Bradley
REACH implementation–what does the past tell us and are there any signals that we should be reading?

Aoife Clarke
Preparing for REACH, the IBEC help desk - questions and issues arising.


To learn more on how the administrative challenges of REACH will be addressed in the EU, as well as their potential implications for industry globally, contact The Weinberg Group.