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HCF REACHes towards successful, sustainable chemistry

Mauri Pekkarinen, , Minister of Economic Affairs of Finland during the inauguration session

Geert Dancet, Executive Director, ECHA launches a new slogan

Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP giving the keynote address at HCF 2009

In many ways, Helsinki may seem to be the last place on earth to hold a conference dealing with chemicals. Traditionally a land of dense pine forests, with a lot of its green cover still intact, framed by its picturesque archipelago, Finland has successfully dealt with the Baltic Sea, reportedly the most polluted sea in the world. Thus in hindsight, Helsinki was the ideal place to host the European Chemicals Agency's (ECHA) Second Stakeholders' Day, followed by the first Helsinki Chemicals Forum (HCF). The three-day event provided a chance for the organisers (the Chemicals Forum Association in cooperation with the EU Commission and its Chemical Agency ECHA), with host partners that include the City of Helsinki, the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland and the University of Helsinki, to position the city as the place to set the agenda for the implementation of regulations aimed at the sustainable use of chemicals.

ECHA's Second Stakeholders' Day, took stock of the situation since REACH, a new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use, came into force on 1 June 2007. REACH deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances. The REACH Regulation shifts the responsibility of managing the risks of chemicals and providing safety information on chemicals from the government to industry. Manufacturers and importers are now required to gather information on the properties of their chemical substances, which will allow their safe handling, and to register the information in a central database run by ECHA in Helsinki. ECHA, as the central point in the REACH system, manages the databases necessary to operate the system, co-ordinate the in-depth evaluation of suspicious chemicals and run a public database in which consumers and professionals can find hazard information. The regulation also calls for the progressive substitution of the most dangerous chemicals when suitable alternatives have been identified.

Reminding the audience of REACH's ambitious aims of protecting human health and the environment, while promoting alternative test methods, enhancing innovation and competitiveness as well as strengthening the internal market, Geert Dancet, Executive Director, ECHA launched a new awareness campaign, 'The clock is ticking… start your SEIF now'. He exhorted chemical exporters to start the process of forming Substance Information Exchange Fora (SIEF) before the deadlines set out for various categories of chemicals. The rest of the day saw the same spirit of transparency and consultation, with extensive dialogue with stakeholders, which marked the formation of REACH.

Towards safer chemicals

Primed by the discussions at ECHA's Stakeholders Day, the stage was set for the first ever HCF, held over the following two days. "Even in the face of economical constraints, we should not lose sight of our goal of sustainability - a new business reality." With this rallying cry, Mauri Pekkarinen, Minister of Economic Affairs of Finland inaugurated the first HCF on May 28th . The sustainable use of chemicals formed the underlying motif and as this Forum is to become an annual event, the organisers sought to position Helsinki as the capital of clean chemistry.

Held over two days of intense confabulations between different stakeholders of the chemicals industry, HCF's agenda was to debate with the critical issues facing the chemistry and chemical industry stakeholders. With the themes Competitiveness and Innovation, Chemical Industry Regulation, Safety and Sustainability and Chemistry and Consumers, the presentations and discussion at the first HCF is expected to take the form of a Helsinki Agenda, which will set the pace for regulation in the European chemical industry.

D P Misra, Director, Indian Chemical Council, making a point during the panel discussion on Competitiveness and Innovation

Matti Vanhanen, Prime Minister of Finland gives the closing keynote address

Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for Environment, EU Commission also made the point that REACH was required as the previous regulation had a 'huge knowledge gap and the more knowledge we have, the closer we will come to our goal of living in a world in which chemicals are produced, used and managed safely," he commented.

However, the process of SIEF formation could put chemical exporters from developing nations at a disadvantage as it requires time and monetary resources, which in the current economic crunch, are not easily available. However, according to Smita Samant, Executive Director, Basic Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Export Promotion Council (CHEMEXCIL) planning to hold awareness seminars in the near future and acting as the nodal agency for Indian chemical exporters to register and be part of SEIFs, this might hopefully be a passing phase.

The case for SMEs and non-EU states

Between the theme sessions there were keynote addresses from Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP and Ambassador Minoru Shibuya, Chairperson of the Conference of States Parties of the OPCW. Speaking at the Gala Dinner Paavo Lipponen, former Finnish Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, made the point that while REACH represents great progress towards better regulation, too little attention was paid in the EU legislative process to potential problems in implementation of REACH. He also cautioned that particular attention must be paid to SMEs in the chemicals branch that are struggling with REACH bureaucracy, as they now need support in handling REACH.

Still speaking in what seemed to be his trademark blunt style, Lipponen said, "There are tendencies in Europe to neglect the interests of non-member countries, particularly the developing countries. As REACH is gradually becoming the global standard, it should not be discriminatory, hampering world trade." The fact that HCF 2009 had delegates from around 30 countries in Europe and overseas, spanning manufacturers of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, as well as NGOs and environmental activists, is proof that stakeholders across the board are reacting to REACH and came to the conference to clarify their concerns and pitch their cases.

In his final comments at the closing luncheon, Matti Vanhanen, the Prime Minister of Finland, said, "The REACH regulation is more important than one would think. It will have a direct and concrete influence on the everyday life of all of us. For Europe, it is a major policy tool. I think I'm not exaggerating if I say that Europe is leading the world and making a global benchmark in chemicals legislation. The rest of the world has no other choice than to follow." While this statement will undoubtedly not go down well with countries who would like to have their own modifications rather than a straitjacket thrust onto them, the fact is that harmonisation of regulation might go a long way towards reducing bureaucratic red tape.

viveka.r@expressindia.com