The subject of such conjecture is an EU law for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in EU commerce, which went into force June 1, 2007. Background

On June 1, 2007, the EU began to implement a new approach to the management of chemicals in EU commerce. The REACH directive simplifies and consolidates more than 40 former regulations in an effort to balance two EU goals: to protect public health and the environment from hazardous chemicals and to ensure the continuing competitiveness of European industry. Some U.S. chemical industry representatives believe that REACH is "impractical." For example, REACH reduces and coordinates EU regulatory requirements for providing health and safety information about chemicals new to the EU market (as well as the number of new chemicals subject to such requirements), while at the same time increasing collection of such information for chemicals already in the EU market, thus potentially removing disincentives to innovation and encouraging substitution of less toxic for more toxic chemicals in various chemical applications. Some public interest groups are urging U.S. legislators to adopt a similar legislative approach.
On June 1, 2007, the European Union (EU) began to implement a new law governing chemicals in EU commerce: Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). It is intended to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals while at the same time protecting the competitiveness of European industry. REACH evolved over eight years and reflects compromises reached among EU stakeholders. The final regulation reduces and coordinates EU regulatory requirements for chemicals new to the EU market and increases collection of such information for chemicals already in the EU market, thus potentially removing disincentives to innovation that existed under the former law. It also shifts responsibility for safety assessments from government to industry and encourages substitution of less toxic for more toxic chemicals in various chemical applications. Some U.S. chemical industry representatives believe that REACH is "impractical," in part due to the large number of chemicals and difficulties of identifying end uses of chemicals in many products. In contrast, some public-interest groups are urging U.S. legislators to adopt a similar legislative approach.