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Reflections on the definition of the term 'substance' in the European Law on Substances

An unambiguous substance definition is a prerequisite for deciding on ap-
propriate regulatory options for a substance. In the REACH, CLP and Bio-
cides Regulation, substances are defined by their manufacture, i.e. as ‘real
substances’. This definition includes all constituents of a substance that is
in principle not manufactured as an ‘ideal substance’ with a purity of 100 %.
It has been shown that the real substance term alone is not sufficient to
comprehensively regulate substances. In the Helpdesk Focus, the use of the two
terms and the consequences in various areas of law will be examined in
more detail.

Bibliographic information

C. Haas, M. Sander:
Reflections on the definition of the term 'substance' in the European Law on Substances. 
1. edition. Dortmund: Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin 2022. pages 8, DOI: 10.21934/helpdeskfocus:reach20220126

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