REACH places responsibility on companies to understand and manage chemical risks. For products and articles, that means maintaining substance and supplier information, tracking list changes, communicating required information, and supporting registration, authorization, restriction, or notification duties where applicable.
At a glance
Reviewed against official primary sources on 5 August 2026.
Jurisdiction
European Union / EEA
Status
In force · candidate and restriction lists evolve
Who it affects
Manufacturers, importers, downstream users, distributors, and article suppliers
Products & scope
Chemical substances, mixtures, and articles across most sectors
Key dates
In force since 1 June 2007 · Candidate List and restrictions update over time
Authority
European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and national enforcement authorities
Role, substance, and article scope
Know which substances trigger action in each product.
Start with the legal-entity role and product structure, then distinguish registration, restriction, authorisation, communication, and notification duties.
Determine role and scope
Identify legal-entity roles, substances, tonnage bands, uses, mixtures, and articles relevant to REACH.
Register and communicate
Support applicable registrations and pass safe-use or hazard information through the supply chain.
Control SVHCs in articles
Track Candidate List substances and fulfill article communication or notification duties where thresholds are met.
Monitor restrictions and authorization
Check whether uses are restricted or require authorization, substitution, or updated controls.
Maintain defensible records
Connect declarations, tests, safety data, supplier evidence, and product versions.
Regulatory workflow in practice
Move from scope to a governed outcome.
Map the relevant records, collect evidence, review gaps, and release an approved outcome with a complete history.
- Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of ChemicalsDetermine role and scope
- Operational evidenceRegister and communicate
- CommonShareConnect obligations to owned action.
- AuthorityControl SVHCs in articles
- Team ownershipMonitor restrictions and authorization
01 ScopeOpen the relevant requirement02 ConnectGather identity and evidence03 AssessCheck, calculate, and route04 DecideKeep human authority05 DemonstrateIssue and reuse the outcome
Determine role and scope
Govern declarations, substance information, safe-use evidence, restrictions, and supplier engagement across the product record.
- Input
- Manufacturers, importers, downstream users, and article suppliers
- Decision or control
- Translate applicable requirements into a managed process while keeping legal judgement with the responsible team.
- Handoff
- Register and communicate · Operational evidence
- Determine role and scopeRegistration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
See how CommonShare connects products, partners, evidence, calculations, and accountable decisions in one governed operating model.
Operational evidence
Connect substance information to the exact article and version.
Govern bills of substances, supplier declarations, safety data, tests, concentrations, applicability reviews, and customer communications as lists change.
- 01
Legal-entity role, substance identity, tonnage, and use information
- 02
Bills of substances and materials linked to products and articles
- 03
Safety data sheets, exposure information, and downstream communications
- 04
Supplier declarations, analytical tests, and concentration results
- 05
Candidate List, authorization, and restriction applicability reviews
- 06
Article notifications, customer responses, decisions, and version history
CommonShare support
Turn supplier chemical data into product-level decisions.
CommonShare connects substance mapping, list-aware review, evidence refresh, and communication records with the chemical and legal teams responsible for assessment.
Substance-to-product mapping
Link chemical and material data from suppliers to components, articles, and finished products.
List-aware assessments
Route products for review when substances or requirements change.
Evidence collection
Standardize supplier declarations, SDS records, tests, and time-bound refresh requests.
Communication records
Maintain approved product information and traceable responses for customers and internal teams.
CommonShare operational view
Product safety and substances
Product compliance, R&D, and sourcing
- 01Inventory
- 02Screen
- 03Resolve
- 04Communicate
Team ownership
Give product, R&D, sourcing, and service teams one substance record.
Product compliance
Faster applicability checks with linked evidence.
R&D
Earlier visibility into substances that may constrain designs.
Sourcing
Consistent declarations and fewer one-off supplier requests.
Customer service
Approved, traceable answers to product substance questions.
Frequently asked
REACH roles, Candidate List duties, and article evidence
No. It can affect manufacturers, importers, downstream users, distributors, and suppliers of articles across many industries.
Official primary sources
Verify scope against the current rules.
Last reviewed: 5 August 2026
ECHA — Understanding REACH
ECHA — Candidate List substances in articles
ECHA — Authorisation and Candidate List obligations
Applicability note
Confirm applicability against current legal text and implementing measures for your company role, products, transactions, and facts.
Related guides
Follow the evidence into adjacent requirements.
SCIP Database Obligations
Connect Candidate List substances to article hierarchies, supplier evidence, dossiers, and submission history.
Explore guideEU General Product Safety Regulation
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Build the product data foundation for ecodesign requirements and digital product passports.
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