Framework for Chemical Risk Management under REACH

✍ Scribed by Steffen Erler

• Publisher: Smithers Rapra Technology
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 444
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

"Efficient and effective implementation of REACH continues to depend on the interaction of Member State regulators during EU decision making. This is the result of past political debates surrounding the legislation being narrowly focused on mechanisms for conducting hazard assessments. To facilitate EU decision making, this study presents a possible framework for risk management under REACH. As a first step, the regulatory approaches of France, Germany, Sweden and the UK are analysed and compared. On the basis of 36 interviews conducted with regulators and stakeholder representatives, the study examines how these Member States influence EU chemical regulation, and vice versa. From these findings, the research concludes that a framework for EU decision making must incorporate hazard, technical and risk-benefit approaches to risk management. As a final step, the potential operability of the proposed framework is tested using risk assessment data for 33 chemicals subject to regulatory review. This study will be essential reading for anyone wishing to asses the implementations of REACH and develop solutions for their chemical risk management."

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 4
1.1 The New EU Chemicals Policy - REACH......Page 8
1.2 Why Regulate Chemicals?......Page 9
1.3 Risk Definitions......Page 13
1.4 What are chemicals? - Defining the scope of the research project......Page 17
1.5 Policy, Risk Management and Risk Reduction Strategies......Page 20
1.6 Rationale and Choice of Countries......Page 23
1.7 Conclusion and Research Questions......Page 25
Introduction......Page 28
2.1 Chemical Risks......Page 32
2.2 Obstacles to Risk Management......Page 48
2.3 The Regulatory Process......Page 58
2.4 REACH......Page 74
3.1 Research Design......Page 89
3.2 Analytical Framework......Page 94
3.3 Interview Selection......Page 97
3.4 Interview Technique......Page 98
3.5 Initial Analysis......Page 100
3.6 Interviewee Response Validation – Cross-Checking......Page 102
3.7 Systems Framework......Page 103
3.8 Strengths and Limitations of this Research......Page 105
3.9 Conclusion......Page 110
Introduction......Page 111
4.1 Chemical Landscapes......Page 112
4.2 Regulatory Approaches......Page 115
4.3 Regulatory Administrations......Page 123
4.4 Policy Styles and Implications for Risk Management......Page 132
4.5 Social and Cultural Contexts......Page 143
4.6 Propensity to Change......Page 150
4.7 Preparing for Implementing REACH......Page 152
4.8 Conclusions......Page 155
5.1 The Need for Regulatory Reform......Page 161
5.2 REACH - A Critical Analysis......Page 172
5.3 Systems Framework......Page 181
5.4 Prioritisation of Regulatory Decision-Making......Page 215
5.5 Conclusions......Page 239
Introduction......Page 242
6.1 From Risk to Safety: Review of the Systems Framework......Page 243
6.2 Testing the Systems Framework......Page 249
6.3 National Approaches under the Systems Framework......Page 267
6.4 Consensus on Banning Chemical Production or Use......Page 271
6.5 Discussion and Conclusions......Page 274
Introduction......Page 277
7.1 Harmonisation of EU Risk Management......Page 278
7.2 Implications of the Research......Page 282
7.3 Global Dimensions of REACH and the Research......Page 290
7.4 Milestones......Page 291
7.5 Research Contribution......Page 294
7.6 Future Research......Page 296
Acknowledgements......Page 297
References......Page 298
Appendix 1.1 - Definitions......Page 364
research project......Page 370
Appendix 1.3 - Chemical industry activity (information based on [24])......Page 373
Appendix 2.1 - Risk Phrases......Page 375
Appendix 2.2 - Lifecycle Assessment (LCA)......Page 379
Appendix 2.3 - The Precautionary Principle......Page 381
Appendix 2.4 - National Factors......Page 383
Appendix 3.1 - List of Interviews......Page 385
Appendix 3.2 - Interview Questions......Page 387
Germany......Page 391
Chemical Wars......Page 400
Appendix 5.1 - Regulatory Options......Page 402
Abbreviations and Acronyms......Page 411
INDEX......Page 417