CHAPTER 2: Chemical Regulation at the European Level: Safeguarding Consumer Health and Protecting the Environment Check Access

To ensure the protection of human health and the environment, the European Union (EU) have a regulatory framework to control the manufacture, packaging, labelling, transport, use and disposal of chemicals. Recently, specific regulations Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP), together with the global harmonization of hazard communication have had a significant effect on the way in which chemical hazards are controlled and communicated. Key steps have been taken to ensure that end users, whether they be workers, household consumers or emergency responders, have access to clear and comprehensible information regarding the hazards and risks associated with the use of, or exposure to, any chemical. European legislation works in conjunction with voluntary industry initiatives to maximise protection from chemical hazards.