Only Representative under REACH

What REACH is

REACH is the EU chemicals regulation governing the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It creates obligations for actors placing substances on the EU/EEA market.

Only Representative concept (high level)

Archived site materials reference REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, Article 8 (Only representative of a non‑Community manufacturer). In short: a non‑EEA manufacturer may, by mutual agreement, appoint an EU/EEA‑established natural or legal person to fulfil the obligations of importers under REACH.

Who can be an Only Representative

Based on the archived content, an Only Representative should be:

• Established physically in the EEA (natural person or legal entity)
• Equipped with sufficient knowledge in practical handling of substances and related information
• Formally appointed by mutual agreement with the non‑EEA manufacturer/formulator/producer

Archived materials also note that an Only Representative can represent more than one non‑EEA supplier but must keep information for each supplier separate.

How this impacts importers

One common goal of the Only Representative model is to reduce duplication and simplify supply to multiple importers, by shifting certain importer obligations to the appointed Only Representative (within the agreed scope).

Next steps

If you want to implement the Only Representative model, start by clarifying:

• Are you supplying substances, mixtures (preparations), or articles?
• Which EEA countries and importers are involved?
• What is the expected tonnage band and use scenarios?

For service implementation and onboarding, see: REACH Only Representative service.

Note: This page is informational. Exact obligations depend on your substances and supply chain.