REACH

The European Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) came into force on 1 June, 2007 and is designed to consolidate various pieces of chemical legislation within Europe and improve the level of information available within the supply chain on chemicals.

The main obligation under REACH is to register any “substance” manufactured in or imported into the European Union in quantities of more than 1 ton per year. A substance is defined as “any chemical element and its compounds in the natural state or obtained by any manufacturing process.

Under REACH the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) also maintains a Candidate List of “Substances of Very High Concern” (SVHCs) that have been selected for possible Authorization. Substances that are then placed on the REACH Annex XIV Authorization List can, after a transition period, only be used if a specific Authorization is granted by ECHA.

For the purposes of REACH Isola produces “articles”, defined as objects which during production are given “a special shape, surface or design which determines its function to a greater degree that does its chemical composition.” Our laminate and prepreg products are classed as articles under this legislation. No substances are intended or expected to be released from our products under normal and reasonably foreseeable conditions of use so Isola has no registration obligations under REACH.

Manufacturers of articles do still have some obligations under REACH, particularly where the products contain SVHCs above 0.1% (w/w) concentration. Isola believes that in accordance with published ECHA guidance on obligations for manufacturers of articles, we have no requirement no inform our customers, consumers, or ECHA that any SVHCs are present in any of our products above the applicable threshold.

The Candidate List of SVHCs is typically updated twice a year. Isola actively monitors substances proposed for addition to the Candidate List and updates our REACH Declaration Letter after each update is finalized. The current version is available at Isola EU REACH Statement 08.05.2024.

If you require any further information on the impact of REACH on our products, please Contact Us