By Paul Davies and Alice Gunn
The European Commission published two evaluation and fitness check roadmaps in May this year. These roadmaps will assist the Commission in assessing whether the current legislative framework for chemicals, including REACH, is fit-for-purpose and delivers as expected.
Together with the ongoing evaluation of 24 EU Directives in the area of health and safety at work, the roadmaps will not only serve as evidence for the chemicals stock-taking report referenced in the 2014 Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT) but, more generally, for developing the non-toxic environment strategy as required by the 7th Environment Action Programme by 2018.
Fitness check of chemicals legislation
The first roadmap concerns a fitness check of current chemicals legislation, as well as related aspects of legislation applied to downstream industries. It does not cover REACH, except for the criteria for identifying a phase-out substance.