Standards Comparison

    REACH

    Mandatory
    2007

    EU regulation for chemicals registration, evaluation, authorisation, restriction

    VS

    FedRAMP

    Mandatory
    2011

    U.S. program standardizing federal cloud security assessments and authorizations.

    Quick Verdict

    REACH mandates chemical safety registration and restrictions for EU market access, while FedRAMP authorizes secure cloud services for US federal agencies. Companies adopt REACH for legal compliance and FedRAMP for government contracts.

    Chemical Safety

    REACH

    Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on REACH

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    18-24 months

    Key Features

    • Shifts burden to industry for chemical registration above 1 tonne/year
    • Four pillars: registration, evaluation, authorisation, restriction
    • SVHC Candidate List triggers supply-chain communication duties
    • Tonnage-based escalating data and testing requirements
    • Continuous dossier updates and Annex monitoring obligations
    Cloud Security

    FedRAMP

    Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program

    Cost
    €€€
    Complexity
    Medium
    Implementation Time
    12-18 months

    Key Features

    • Reusable authorizations across federal agencies
    • NIST SP 800-53 baselines at Low/Moderate/High levels
    • Independent 3PAO security assessments required
    • Continuous monitoring with monthly deliverables
    • FedRAMP Marketplace for transparency and reuse

    Detailed Analysis

    A comprehensive look at the specific requirements, scope, and impact of each standard.

    REACH Details

    What It Is

    REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) is a directly applicable EU regulation governing chemicals lifecycle. Its primary purpose is protecting human health and environment by shifting responsibility to industry for risk identification, assessment, and management of substances, mixtures, and articles. It uses a risk-based approach with tonnage-triggered obligations and adaptive annexes.

    Key Components

    • Four pillars: Registration (>1 tonne/year dossiers), Evaluation (dossier/substance checks), Authorisation (SVHC permission post-sunset), Restriction (Annex XVII bans/limits).
    • 17 technical annexes defining data requirements, SDS rules, SVHC criteria.
    • Core principles: industry-led data generation, supply-chain communication, substitution promotion.
    • No certification; continuous compliance via ECHA submissions and national enforcement.

    Why Organizations Use It

    Ensures EU market access, avoids penalties/recalls, manages supply-chain risks. Strategic benefits include innovation via safer alternatives, ESG alignment, competitive differentiation. Legally mandatory for manufacturers/importers; reduces liability, builds stakeholder trust.

    Implementation Overview

    Phased: gap analysis, substance inventory, dossier preparation (IUCLID), SDS/communication setup, monitoring. Applies to chemicals sectors globally trading in EU/EEA; cross-functional (procurement, R&D, EHS). No central certification; national audits/enforcement require ongoing readiness.

    FedRAMP Details

    What It Is

    FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is a U.S. government-wide framework standardizing security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud services used by federal agencies. Its primary purpose is to enable secure, reusable cloud adoption via NIST SP 800-53-derived baselines mapped to FIPS 199 impact levels (Low, Moderate, High), reducing duplication and enhancing trust.

    Key Components

    • Baselines with ~156 (Low), ~323 (Moderate), ~410 (High) controls, plus LI-SaaS subset.
    • Core artifacts: SSP, SAR, POA&M; 3PAO assessments.
    • Built on NIST standards; continuous monitoring playbook.
    • Agency/Program authorizations for reusability.

    Why Organizations Use It

    • Mandatory for federal cloud procurement.
    • Unlocks multi-agency contracts, market credibility.
    • Mitigates risks via independent validation.
    • Differentiates CSPs; builds stakeholder trust.

    Implementation Overview

    • Gap analysis, documentation, 3PAO assessment, remediation.
    • Targets CSPs serving federal agencies; high complexity.
    • Timelines 10-19 months; costly ($150k-$2M+); annual reassessments.

    Key Differences

    Scope

    REACH
    Chemicals registration, evaluation, authorisation, restriction
    FedRAMP
    Cloud security assessment, authorization, continuous monitoring

    Industry

    REACH
    Chemicals, manufacturing, global with EU focus
    FedRAMP
    Cloud services for US federal agencies

    Nature

    REACH
    Mandatory EU regulation with national enforcement
    FedRAMP
    Standardized US government authorization program

    Testing

    REACH
    Dossier evaluation by ECHA, substance testing by tonnage
    FedRAMP
    3PAO independent assessments, NIST 800-53 controls

    Penalties

    REACH
    National fines, effective/proportionate/dissuasive penalties
    FedRAMP
    Market exclusion, no direct fines but contract loss

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about REACH and FedRAMP

    REACH FAQ

    FedRAMP FAQ

    You Might also be Interested in These Articles...

    Run Maturity Assessments with GRADUM

    Transform your compliance journey with our AI-powered assessment platform

    Assess your organization's maturity across multiple standards and regulations including ISO 27001, DORA, NIS2, NIST, GDPR, and hundreds more. Get actionable insights and track your progress with collaborative, AI-powered evaluations.

    100+ Standards & Regulations
    AI-Powered Insights
    Collaborative Assessments
    Actionable Recommendations

    Check out these other Gradum.io Standards Comparison Pages