A recent EU-wide enforcement project found significant non-compliance in imported mixtures and consumer products: one-third of substances in mixtures lacked REACH* registration, restricted hazardous substances exceeded legal limits in 16% of tested consumer goods (notably jewellery, toys, and textiles), and some substances of very high concern were imported without proper authorization. The Forum did not see improvement in jewellery compared to earlier findings. The results show that imported jewellery persistently contains restricted heavy metals, especially nickel.  

The project, involving 2 603 inspections across 29 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, highlighted the need for importers to understand REACH obligations and for targeted, well-coordinated enforcement to protect health, the environment, and fair market competition.

*REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is the European Union’s comprehensive regulation to protect human health and the environment from chemical risks

• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Helsinki, Finland