REACH EU Regulation and Compliance

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching pieces of environmental legislation to come out of the European Union.
Third-party laboratory Testing allows you to verify compliance with the following requirements of REACH:

Annex XVII Restricted Substances

• 3 phthalates for toys and 6 phthalates for toys when the toy can be placed in the mouth by children
• AZO colorants in textiles
• Nickel release from metal products in direct contact with skin
• PCTs
• Benzene
• Asbestos fibres
• Arsenic compounds
• Mercury compounds
• Cadmium

  View full list

Candidate List of 49 SVHCs (Substances of Very High Concern)

There is a general 0.1% w/w (0.1% of total product weight) limit for each of the 49 SVHCs that applies to all product types. Substances of Very High Concern include

• Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMR)
• Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic (PBT) or very Persistent and very Bioaccumulative (vPvB)
• Identified, on a case-by-case basis, from scientific evidence as causing probable serious effects to human health or the environment of an equivalent level of concern as those above (e.g. endocrine disrupters).
  

REACH Updates

Candidate List Extension

In December of 2015 five new substances* of very high concern (SVHCs) were added to the Candidate List which now contains 168 substances. The Candidate List includes substances that may have serious effects on human health or the environment. These five new substances may soon be moved to the Authorisation List which would make it necessary for industry to get permission before using any of these substances.

ECHA News Release

RoHS Compliance

(RoHS) is a set of EU regulations that implements EU Directive 2002/95 that restricts the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. This directive bans placing on the EU market, any product having an electrical/electronic component containing more than thresholds set for lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominateddiphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.

RoHS affects any company importing goods containing electrical components into the European Union. QIMA Laboratory Testing can help you prepare, implement and comply with RoHS regulations. Our testing services allow you to place your products with confidence on the targeted markets. To learn more about our mandatory third-party testing and certification of a wide range of products, please complete the Need More Information form on the right.

RoHS Updates

On 31 March 2015 the EC published the Directive 2015/863 which adds four additional substances to RoHS. This directive is slated for adoption and publishing by EU governments internally by the end of 2016. The additional four substances* will be applied by 22 July 2019 (except where exemptions permit as stated in Annex II).

*Bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)