- The European Chemicals Agency is an agency of the European Union which manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the European Union regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). It is located in Helsinki, Finland.
- It is an independent and mature regulatory agency established by REACH. It is not a subsidiary entity of the European Commission
- It was created by European Union regulation dating from 18 December 2006 to manage the regulation of the manufacture and use of chemical substances.
- It is a unique source of information on the chemicals manufactured and imported in Europe. It covers their hazardous properties, classification and labelling, and information on how to use them safely.
- EU’s chemicals legislation is to protect the health of the human beings and the environment by the safe use of chemicals, provides information on chemicals and addresses chemicals of concern.
The different Annexures in the PIC Regulation of the Conventionare given as below:
Annex- I: contains all information requirements for notifications made pursuant to article 5, whereas Annex II describes the criteria for listing these banned or severely restricted chemicals in Annex III, making them subject to the PIC procedure.
Annex- II: requires a risk evaluation based on a review of scientific data in the context of the conditions prevailing in the Party’s country submitting the notification of a final regulatory action to ban or restrict a chemical. The data should be generated in accordance to scientifically recognized methods and data reviews carried out in agreement of sound scientific principles and methods.
Annex- III: include pesticides and industrial chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health or environmental reasons by two or more Parties and which the Conference of the Parties has decided to subject to the PIC procedure.
There are a total of 52 chemicals listed in Annex III, 35 pesticides (including 3 Severely Hazardous Pesticide Formulations (SHPF)), 16 industrial chemicals, and 1 chemical in both the pesticide and the industrial chemical categories.
Annex- IV: of the Convention sets out information and criteria for listing those SHPFs in Annex III and asks for further information, for example risk and/or hazard evaluations, where available.
Articles 12 and 13, describe the obligations of Parties exporting chemicals listed in Annex III and chemicals banned or severely restricted in their territory, to notify and to provide each importing Party with a safety data sheet according to an internationally recognized format including scientifically based information.
Prior informed consent
The law on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) sets guidelines for the export and import of hazardous chemicals that are banned or severely restricted in the EU.Through this mechanism, countries due to receive hazardous chemicals are informed in advance and have the possibility of rejecting their import.
Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures
The classification and labelling scheme introduces a globally harmonised system for categorising the hazard and handling requirements for chemicals in the EU. This worldwide system makes it easier for workers and consumers to know the side-effects of chemicals and how to use products safely because the labels on products are now the same throughout the world. By 2022, the ECHA had received over 5 million notifications for more than 200,000 substances.
Registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH)
The REACH regulation requires companies to provide information on the hazards, risks and safe use of chemical substances that they manufacture or import. Companies register this information with ECHA and it is then freely available on their website.The information is technical but gives detail on the impact of each chemical on people and the environment.
Objectives of ECHA
To ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment, including the promotion of alternative methods for assessment of hazards relating to substances, as well as the free circulation of substances on the internal market while enhancing competitiveness and innovation.To ensure that chemicals legislation and the decision making processes and scientific basis underlying it have credibility with all stakeholders and the public.To coordinate communication concerning the REACH Regulation and in its implementation.
