What is ECHA?

ECHA , or the European Chemicals Agency, manages the technical and administrative aspects of the European Union's chemicals legislation. ECHA has to ascertain that companies comply with the legislation, advances the safe use of chemicals, provides information on chemicals and addresses chemicals of concern.

The EU requires companies provide information on the hazards and risks of chemical substances they manufacture or import. Companies register this information with ECHA and it is then freely available on their website. So far, thousands of the most hazardous and the most commonly used substances have been registered. The information is technical but gives detail on the impact of each chemical on people and the environment.