REACH Regulation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) is near to final adoption.After three years of negotiations the European Union has reached (last December 13th) a final version of this regulation, which should enter into force on 1st June 2007. Once in force, REACH will require the registration, over a period of 11 years, of some 30.000 chemical substances in use today, a process which will allow to fill information gaps on the hazards of substances and to identify appropriate risk management measures to ensure their safe use.