Regulatory affairs as part of product stewardship
Kautschuk Group supplies specialty chemicals into industrial value chains where regulatory accuracy is a condition for safe use, reliable supply and customer confidence. REACH is therefore not treated as an isolated administrative task. It is part of product stewardship: knowing what we supply, understanding the applicable legal role, maintaining documentation, communicating hazards clearly and supporting customers with the information they need for compliant use.
Our regulatory affairs work covers EU REACH and related obligations, but also interfaces with CLP/GHS classification and labelling, Safety Data Sheets, transport information, customer regulatory questionnaires, supplier documentation and product-specific market requirements.
What REACH requires
REACH — Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals — is the European Union framework for managing chemical-substance risks. Its basic principle is straightforward: substances manufactured in or imported into the EU must be known, assessed and communicated through the supply chain according to their tonnage, use and hazard profile.
Depending on the product and supply route, REACH obligations may include registration, verification of registration coverage, exposure-scenario review, restriction checks, authorisation screening, SVHC communication, Safety Data Sheet updates and downstream-use communication. Kautschuk Group manages these topics through regulatory review and supplier/customer communication rather than treating REACH as a one-time certificate.
Our role in the supply chain
The legal role can differ by product and transaction. Kautschuk Group may act as a distributor, importer, downstream user or supplier of mixtures and formulated products. For each role, the relevant duties are different. Our regulatory process therefore starts with the concrete product, legal entity, origin, destination market and intended industrial use.
Where we place substances or mixtures on the EU market, we work to ensure that the necessary regulatory basis is understood and documented. Where registration duties are handled by an upstream supplier or an Only Representative, we seek appropriate confirmation and maintain supporting documentation where relevant. Where customer uses require clarification, our regulatory team coordinates the exchange of information through the supply chain.
Classification, labelling and Safety Data Sheets
REACH and CLP/GHS belong together in daily chemical supply. REACH defines many of the substance-information and risk-management obligations; CLP and GHS principles support hazard classification, labelling and communication.
Safety Data Sheets are the central communication tool for professional users. Kautschuk Group maintains and provides SDS documentation for supplied chemical products where required and works with suppliers to keep classification, labelling, composition, exposure controls, handling, storage, transport and disposal information current. SDS updates are reviewed when new hazard information, regulatory changes, formulation changes or supplier revisions make an update necessary.
SVHC, restrictions and authorisation
Substances of Very High Concern, Annex XVII restrictions and Annex XIV authorisation requirements can affect product selection, documentation and long-term supply security. We screen relevant products against these regulatory areas and communicate applicable information through the supply chain.
For customers, this is particularly important when materials are used in demanding applications, exported into regulated markets, incorporated into articles or specified for long service life. Early regulatory review helps avoid late-stage reformulation, documentation gaps or supply disruption.
Customer support and documentation
Customers often need more than a standard SDS. Depending on product and application, regulatory support may include statements on REACH registration status, SVHC information, CLP classification, transport classification, food-contact or sector-specific questions, absence declarations where supportable, supplier questionnaires and documentation for customer compliance systems.
We answer these requests based on available product data and supplier confirmations. Where information is not available or cannot be stated responsibly, we prefer a clear limitation over an unsupported declaration. Regulatory documentation must remain technically and legally defensible.
Supplier documentation and audit expectations
Regulatory compliance begins upstream. We expect suppliers to provide accurate and current regulatory documentation, including SDS, classification and labelling information, registration or representative coverage where applicable, restriction and SVHC information, and notice of relevant formulation or regulatory changes.
These expectations are part of our supplier review process. Higher-risk suppliers or products may require additional documentation checks, clarification of REACH roles, audit follow-up or corrective action.
Read our Supplier Audit Guideline
Connection to sustainability and responsible business
Sound chemical regulation supports sustainability. Correct substance information helps prevent unsafe handling, unsuitable substitutions, uncontrolled emissions, improper waste treatment and avoidable customer process failures. It also supports circularity and product durability by ensuring that materials are selected and documented for their real use conditions.
Our REACH and regulatory affairs work is therefore linked to our broader sustainability framework: environment, human rights and labor, ethics, and sustainable business practices. Product stewardship, transparent documentation and compliant supply are part of responsible growth.
Read our Sustainability Strategy
Regulatory affairs contact
For REACH, SDS, CLP/GHS, SVHC, regulatory questionnaires or other product-compliance questions, please contact our regulatory affairs department:
English