In this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, we explore the vital work carried out by the European Chemicals Agency’s Member State Committee. Host Päivi Jokiniemi is joined by Katinka van der Jagt, Chair of the Member State Committee, alongside two of the committee's national members, Katarzyna Malkiewicz from the Swedish Chemicals Agency KEMI, and Agnieszka Dudra from the Polish Bureau for Chemical Substances.

The European Union, a partnership of 27 countries, is committed to building a safer and healthier future. ECHA’s Member State Committee exemplifies this commitment by bringing together representatives from all EU member states to reach consensus on key chemical safety decisions.

Throughout the episode, our guests talk about the unique aspects of the Member State Committee, discussing its tasks, responsibilities, and the collaborative nature of its decision-making process. They highlight the importance of science-based decisions, transparency, and the committee’s role in promoting the substitution and minimisation of harmful substances.

Key topics:

• Committee voting procedure and its impact on committee collaboration

• Generation of experimental data for industrial chemicals and its significance in identifying hazardous substances

• Identification of substances of very high concern, particularly those with endocrine-disrupting properties

• National perspectives on chemical safety priorities and how they influence committee decisions

• Importance of science and legal frameworks in resolving divergences and achieving consensus

• Future challenges, including emerging chemical concerns like nanomaterials, neurotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and the development of non-animal testing methods

Useful links

• Give us feedback

• Member State Committee - who we are

• Member State Committee - meeting agendas and minutes

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, host Adam Elwan is joined by Roberto Scazzola, the Chair of ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee and Maria Ottati who chairs the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee to discuss the ongoing efforts and challenges in regulating harmful chemicals.

The episode focuses on the universal PFAS restriction proposal, addressing its persistency and health impacts, and the committees' approach to evaluating different sectors in batches.

They also explore the initial discussions on harmonising the classification and labelling of talc, and the steps towards recommending occupational exposure limits for bisphenol A (BPA).

Tune in for the latest updates on the committees' work in protecting health and the environment, their socio-economic implications, and the vital role of stakeholder contributions in this complex process.

Useful links

• More episodes on the committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis

• Give us feedback

More

• June RAC and SEAC meeting highlights - ECHA news, 13 June 2024

• Agenda of RAC’s meeting [PDF] [EN]

• Agenda of SEAC’s meeting [PDF] [EN]

• REACH restriction process

• Harmonised classification and labelling

• Risk Assessment Committee

• Socio-Economic Analysis Committee

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

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ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee met during the last week of May 2024 and adopted altogether 18 opinions.

Join Päivi Jokiniemi and Joost van Galen, the Chair of the Biocidal Products Committee, in this episode of Safer Chemicals Podcast. They discuss, for example, what happens when the assessment of endocrine disrupting properties is lacking from applications. Joost also comes back to the topic of data gaps and missing information, and reminds companies of their responsibility of making sure that their applications are complete and meet the data requirements under the Biocidal Products Regulation.

The Committee’s task is to prepare scientific opinions for the European Commission on biocidal active substances and on EU-wide authorisations of biocidal products. The Commission takes the final decisions based on these opinions.

Useful links

• More episodes on the Biocidal Products Committee meetings

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More

• ECHA raises concern over missing data in biocides applications - ECHA news, 5 June 2024

• Agenda of the May 2024 BPC meeting [PDF] [EN]

• Understanding the Biocidal Products Regulation

• Biocidal Products Regulation (528/2012)

• Guidance on biocides legislation

• Biocidal Products Committee (contains also working procedures)

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Disclaimer: Views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Chemicals Agency. All content is up to date at the time of publication.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.