How much are we told - REACH brochure

In their daily lives, consumers are exposed to a cocktail of various synthetic chemicals present in consumer products: food storage boxes with Bisphenol A, toys with phthalates, hair dyes with resorcinol, computers with brominated flame retardants etc.

Hazardous chemicals are present in our homes, but also our blood or breast milk, while consumers have little information on where they are and how to avoid them, despite potential great risk. They can cause allergies, cancer, damage our reproductive system or negatively impact on our hormones.

Against this background, in 2006 the EU adopted legislation setting up a new system for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH Regulation). One of its objectives is to increase public access to information on the chemicals to which they are exposed. Along with greater transparency, the intention was to create
pressure on industry to develop safer substitutes.

This report focusing on how well companies comply with consumers' right to know.