Which international activities concerning chemicals exist under REACH?
As chemicals are traded internationally, chemical safety is a global concern and inspired a number of international initiatives. The European Union is playing a leadership role in all of them and cooperates closely with third countries.
Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management
In 2006 the Commission played a pivotal role in the launch of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). SAICM was developed and negotiated with the participation of a wide range of stakeholders from more than 140 countries and was finally adopted by the UNEP Governing Council in February 2006 in Dubai. SAICM aims to ensure that chemicals management all over the world is done in a manner that will help to reach the target set at the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development "to achieve, by 2020, that chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to a minimisation of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment." The EU has been a keen supporter of SAICM and will also be very active in the implementation of the SAICM Global Plan of Action which sets out nearly three hundred different activities that will help countries to reach this goal. In particular, REACH will help the EU to fulfil the objectives of SAICM.
OECD Programme on high volume substances
The OECD has initiated a co-operative action programme for testing and assessing High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals in a systematic way. When important data gaps are identified or concerns are raised, further investigation, in-depth assessment or risk assessment measures are recommended. The EU participates actively in this programme and there will be mutual reinforcement between the OECD programme and REACH.
Stockholm convention on POPs
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) sets out to control the production, use, import, export, disposal and release of twelve POPs. The convention bans deliberate production and use of POPs and the development of new POPs, and aims at minimising releases of unintentionally produced POPs. The convention has so far been ratified by the European Community, 18 Member States and the 2 accession countries. The European Community has recently proposed that 5 additional substances should fall under the Convention.
Global Harmonised System (GHS)
The Commission has taken an active part in the UN negotiations on a Global Harmonised System (GHS) for the classification and labelling of chemicals. A draft proposal for a Regulation to implement the GHS into Community law is currently under preparation after a public stakeholder consultation was successfully concluded in the autumn of 2006. The new legislation will replace, after a transitional period of several years, the current provisions on classification and labelling of chemicals, as set out in Council Directive 67/548/EEC and Directive 1999/45/EC.
Rotterdam convention on the trade of dangerous chemicals
The Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC) aims at reducing the risk connected with chemicals when they are internationally traded. The Convention sets up a system regulating trade in certain dangerous substances. It entered into force in early 2004. The European Community, 23 of its Member States and the 2 accession countries are parties to the convention. Regulation (EC) 304/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council implements the Convention and goes significantly beyond its requirements.
