REACH Testing (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) is a comprehensive regulation (EC 1907/2006) implemented by the European Union for chemicals and downstream articles containing chemicals. It aims to protect human health and the environment while facilitating the safe use of chemicals. The regulation entered into force formally on June 1, 2007, with a wide coverage scope. It applies not only to chemicals themselves but also consumer goods, industrial products containing chemical substances, etc. It is a critical compliance requirement that enterprises must satisfy to export products to the EU market.

The core framework of the REACH Regulation consists of "Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals", including the following key procedures:

1. Registration
   Manufacturers or importers are required to submit registration dossiers to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) when the annual production or import volume of a substance (pure substance or substance contained in mixtures) exceeds 1 tonne. The dossiers shall cover physicochemical properties, toxicological data, intended uses and risk control measures of the substance to prove its safe use.

• Registration is carried out in phases. The level of detail of test data and documentation required varies according to annual tonnage bands (1 tonne/year, 10 tonnes/year, 100 tonnes/year, 1000 tonnes/year, above 10000 tonnes/year) and risk classification of substances.

2. Evaluation
   ECHA or competent authorities of EU Member States evaluate registered substances, including:

• Dossier Evaluation: Verify the completeness and compliance of registration dossiers;

• Substance Evaluation: Assess whether substances pose health or environmental risks, and require supplementary test data where necessary.

3. Authorization
   Enterprises must apply for authorization to continue using substances classified as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) with available alternatives. Substances without obtained authorization are prohibited from production, import or use within the EU market.

4. Restriction
   If a substance poses unacceptable risks to human health or the environment, the EU may ban or restrict its production, marketing and use via restriction provisions (e.g. restrictions on lead content in paints).

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Under the REACH Regulation, Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC) are the core controlled substances, mainly including the following categories:

• Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or toxic to Reproduction substances (CMR);

• Persistent, Bioaccumulative and Toxic substances (PBT);

• very Persistent and very Bioaccumulative substances (vPvB);

• Other substances of equivalent serious hazard (such as endocrine disruptors).

The SVHC candidate list is dynamically updated by ECHA (as of May 2024, updated to the 29th batch with a total of 235 substances). Enterprises shall track updates of the list and fulfill the following obligations:

1. Communication of information: If the SVHC content in articles exceeds 0.1% by weight, information on safe use shall be provided to customers and consumers;

2. Notification Obligation: If the SVHC content in articles exceeds 0.1% by weight and the annual export volume exceeds 1 tonne, notification shall be submitted to ECHA within 6 months after the substance is included in the candidate list;

3. Supply Chain Management: Enterprises shall confirm the presence and content of SVHC in products via testing or supplier declarations.