In an article published on April 20, 2017 by news provider Chemical Watch, editor Luke Buxton informed that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) plans to carry out a study to evaluate the feasibility of establishing an ‘EU chemicals legislation finder,’ a publicly accessible database that would summarize how a substance is regulated at European Union (EU) level. The feasibility study is expected to be completed by November 2017. Depending on its outcome, the work on the ‘finder’ may be performed in 2018, with database launch expected in 2019.

These plans were discussed during the 45th meeting of the ECHA Management Board that took place in Helsinki, Finland, on March 30-31, 2017 and was focused on ECHA’s transparency efforts. The accompanying update document summarized the developments occurring since the adoption of ECHA’s Approach to Transparency in 2014, such as improvements in the transparency of Committee meetings and in the dissemination of information on chemicals, as well as increased clarity of ECHA’s website structure and communications. For example, in March 2017 ECHA has published data on approximately 15,000 chemicals registered under REACH (FPF reported).

In 2017-2018, ECHA will continue its work on improving its information dissemination and communication strategies, including “more targeted communication for general audiences.” The agency will also work on the “continual improvement of the transparency of Committee meetings, regulatory decision making and third party involvement therein.”

Read more

Luke Buxton (April 20, 2017). “ECHA launches study on EU chemicals legislation ‘finder’.Chemical Watch

References

ECHA (March 30, 2017). “Update of the ECHA Transparency Approach.” MB/04/2017 (pdf)

ECHA (December 17, 2014). “ECHA’s approach to Transparency.” MB/61/2014 (pdf)

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