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Spheres of Influence
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REACHing for Chemical Safety Valerie J. Brown
Abstract
The European Union is finalizing a groundbreaking set of chemical regulations known as Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) , the details of which are being debated around the world. As is the case in the United States, only a fraction of the chemicals on the market in the European Union have undergone risk or hazard assessment, a situation that REACH could reverse. One contentious point of the new program is that it transfers the burden of proof for a chemical's safety from the government to the manufacturer. The new rules also bring into play the precautionary principle and encourage the use of less hazardous chemicals when possible. Although the cost of implementing REACH is seen by some critics as excessive, supporters believe the program could promote a drop in chemical-related health care costs and encourage innovation. Recent modifications to the REACH proposal have onlookers on both sides of the debate--and the Atlantic--anxious to see what version of the program will finally be voted on next year.
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