Restriction

The REACH Regulation has taken over the previously existing restriction system, adding some new provisions. Restriction and authorisation constitute the two regulatory instruments for managing the risks of hazardous substances that are specific to REACH.

Restrictions are a tool to protect human health and the environment from chemicals when it is considered that they pose an unacceptable risk.

Restrictions may vary greatly in scope and conditions. They may limit or ban the manufacture, import, placing on the market or use of a substance. Restrictions may apply to any substance on its own, in a mixture or in articles, including those that do not require registration.

A Member State, or ECHA on request of the European Commission, can propose restrictions if they find that the risks need to be addressed on a EU-wide basis.

Restriction and authorisation can be linked or used to ‘complement’ each other, as a restriction may be proposed on articles containing substances that are in the Authorisation list (Annex XIV). Here ECHA may suggest a restriction on its own initiative.

The ECHA webpages dedicated to Restrictions are accessible through this link: https://echa.europa.eu/regulations/reach/restriction/

ECHA has prepared a table of substances or group of substances that are restricted by Annex XVII to the REACH Regulation:
https://echa.europa.eu/substances-restricted-under-reach

This list refers to the consolidated text of REACH and its annexes:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CONSLEG:2006R1907:20130701:EN:PDF#page=221

Last page update: 1 October 2018