ECHA Executive Director presents three strategic priortities to the European Parliament

ECHA - Strategic Plan Priorities 2019-2023

1 - Identify substances of concern and take action quickly

2 - Support industries in having access to information from ECHA as well as registrants in the supply chain. Allowing users of the substance to have the necessary information to effectively protect themselves, consumers and the environment. 

3 - Ensure that ECHA is better integrated with other pieces of legislation that concern chemicals that ECHA is not implementing in other agencies and the international agenda. 

1 - Identify substances of concern

ECHA has shown progress in this strategic priority in 2019. They aim to increase or maintain monitoring in the 2019-2023 period. 

Compliance checks:

(*) 300 and more compliance checks this year, 50% increase than the previous target of 200. As well as covering 2000 registrations. 

Authorisation:

(*) There have been substantial changes in the methodology draft opinions are formed and sent to the commision. In order to be aligned with the resolutions of the people and court.

(*) A 500% increase in authorisation120 applications for authorisation in 2019, compared to 22 in 2018. 

Restrictions:

(*) 9 restrictions undergoing discussion in various committees and 5 restriction proposals from ECHA undergoing decision making

(*) Proposals in the decision making process - substances in tattoo ink to be regulated, microplastics and rubber ifnill from sports.

ECHA is restructured to accommodate for these challenges in compliance check, authorisation and restrictions: i) Competent centres have been established, providing support to Member States; ii) Viewing substances in groups instead of isolation, for routine analysis; iii) Freeing up resources to allocate to new tasks quickly.

New Tasks

(*) ECHA has become operation with poison centre, improving database and information from industries from member states.This allows for emergency services to give accurate information and advice to households in terms of chemicals. 

(*) ECHA are on schedule to develop the waste database which is critical in helping waste processors separate and recycle objects with SVHC’s. As well as eventually gradual replacement of substances of concern in articles.

(*) ECHA is now prepared to cooperate effectively with DG Employment on occupational exposure limit values. 

2. Supporting Industries

REACH has made considerable progress in the supply chain by establishing an infrastructure to receive information from registrants containing significant information on chemicals.

REACH are also in communications with member states and the commission to overcome the Occupational Safety and Health legislation obstacle. Allowing for the worker protection to reap the full benefit of all the information generated under REACH.

3. Integrating Legislation 

ECHA has established a tangible relationship with EFSA, European Food Safety Agency, supporting the implementation of the next food law; through the development of IT systems to gather and publish data online. ECHA and EFSA will build identical IT systems during this period of cooperation, creating consistency and synergies. 

Future Objectives from 2020 to 2027

ECHA has increased its compliance checks to 300 per year, intending to maintain or increase this level. By 2027, ECHA aims to have monitored all substances in the European market and determined whether risk management is required. 

ECHA views the Green Deal and 0 pollution agenda as an opportunity to streamline chemical legislations. Which will be embedded into the commission's fitness check for legislation, improving consistency and efficiency between further pieces of chemical legislation. As a result, reducing the administrative burden on companies and increasing levels of protection.