REACH is Europe’s new regulation on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals. REACH's main goal is to improve protection to people and environment via the well-developed risk characterisation of chemicals. By searching for safe alternatives to harmful substances, REACH intends to increase competitiveness and stimulate innovation, among others by promoting alternative test methods to replace testing on animals.
REACH makes industry itself responsible for assessing and managing the risks associated with chemicals, and for informing users on how to use products safely. VITO is helping industry in assessing the risk of dangerous substances and with the socio-economic analysis of substances whose use is subject to far-reaching restrictions.
In REACH's guidance of companies, VITO provides the expertise required for:
- collecting and validating available data, quality control of the data, and data gap analysis
- conducting ecotoxicity tests and in-vitro toxicity tests (specialised services via CARDAM (www.CARDAM.EU (new window))
- organising the required in-vivo toxicity tests with external contract labs
- performing multicomponent analyses
- performing measurements
- modelling and evaluating exposure (among others EUSES, Ecetoc-TRA and ConsExpo, CHESAR)
- performing risk characterisations
- conducting socio-economic analyses
- conducting scientific reviews of dossiers
- giving timely advice.
For details of the services:
VITO-CARDAM and REACH brochure (PDF 1.4 MB new window)
For administrative and logistics support, VITO is working with external partners in order to offer you a comprehensive REACH service package. ‘IRIS lutea’ is a project in which VITO/CARDAM, KH Kempen College and Reflector Consulting join forces to coordinate the substantive aspects and provide logistics support for companies during the entire REACH registration process.
To support Flemish industry in the implementation of REACH, Essenscia Flanders initiated a number of projects under VLARIP (Flanders REACH Implementation Projects) with financial support of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). VLARIP focuses on the chemical industry, manufacturers and importers,, and users of chemical products and service providers. Given VITO's long tradition in the area of risk assessment, providing this expertise in the REACH process is a logical step. Thus, VITO is also an active member of VLARIP (new window), making it possible for it to quickly adapt to the needs of companies. Thanks to regular meetings of VLARIP, VITO is able to stay on top of the most recent developments in the REACH landscape, and the service package offered by VITO is always up to date.
