European Chemicals Agency
Helsinki, Finland
December 18, 2006
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA, English European Chemicals Agency) is an EU agency that regulates the technical, scientific and administrative aspects of the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals. She is in Helsinki, Finland, located and ensures the registration, evaluation, authorization and restriction of chemical substances in a uniform procedure within the European Union.
ECHA is the central hub of REACH. It consists of several committees and a Secretariat, which supports the administrative committees as well as in scientific and technical terms. It will receive the registration documents of the manufacturers and importers and checks the submitted documents.
The agency was founded on 18 December 2006 by decision (Regulation (EC ) No 1907/2006 ) of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union and became operational on 1 June 2007 at their work. It is headed by a Director ( Geert Dancet ) and currently has about 500 employees. The supreme governing body is the Board of Directors composed of representatives of the Member States of the EU - is occupied Parliament and of interest groups - Commission of the EU.
Functions
- Developed in collaboration with the authorities of the Member States comments on the risks associated with the substances as well as risks to the socio-economic impacts of targeted risk mitigation measures (prohibitions, restrictions, approvals ),
- Forms for the implementation and monitoring of the safety of chemicals a network with the authorities of the Member States,
- Maintains a central substance database and developed guidance documents to support the company,
- Decides in agreement of all Member States of the toxicological and ecotoxicological studies that are carried out for evaluation of possible hazardous properties of substances.
Decisions taken by the ECHA may be appointed at a Board of Appeal (Board of Appeal ).