The REACH Regulation foresees involvement of the public and transparency in many respects. ”Participation in this way is completely novel in chemicals policy and still far too unknown”, said Dr. Klaus Günter Steinhäuser, Head of the Chemical and Biological Safety Division at the Federal Environment Agency. ”Private individuals can get information about the procedure and become involved. I hope that not only industry will take advantage of these rights but concerned citizens as well”.
What is also largely unknown is that REACH marks the introduction of consumers’ right to information. Steinhäuser explains, ”As soon as European committees decide to include substances of very high concern on the REACH Candidate List, private individuals may enquire and receive free information from the trade as to whether these substances are present in products in concentrations higher than 0.1 percent. Consumers can steer the market through their purchasing behaviour. The Federal Environment Agency has provided them with a sample letter of enquiry.”
The so-called Candidate List is the first step towards regulation throughout Europe. The ECHA may suggest that substances on the list be made subject to authorisation, thereby prohibiting their use in the EU. Any further application would be subject to authorisation and only allowed in isolated cases where there is no substitute substance. In this way the EU is seeking to replace substances of very high concern with chemicals and processes that are less harmful to the environment and human health.
Eight of a total 15 proposed substances of very high concern have come from German authorities. The Federal Environment Agency has identified five anthracene oils. These oils contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which are persistent in the environment, may accumulate in the food chain, and are toxic on account of their carcinogenity (see Press Release Nr. 54/2009).
