The creation of a European Chemicals Bureau
In a communication to the Council and the European Parliament, the Commission states that it has established, within the Joint Research Centre (JRC), Environment Institute, at Ispra, a special unit dedicated to undertaking a number of the scientific/technical tasks required of the Commission in the context of certain pieces of Community legislation relating to the control of chemicals. This is deemed necessary as Community legislation in this area often imposes obligations on the Commission with regard to day-to-day implementation or to the adaptation of legislation to scientific or technical progress. Such work is often of a highly specialized and technical nature. A significant re-allocation of resources within the JRC, required to support the establishment and functioning of the European Chemicals Bureau, will be achieved within the existing budgetary provisions. The capacity of the Bureau will be built up over several years with the intention to reach full capacity by 1995/96. The newly created Bureau will be responsible for scientific and technical support activities associated with the adaptation of Annexes I-IX of the Directive on scientific and technical progress to the implementation of the new chemicals notification scheme. It will also work on scientific issues related to the Commission Directive on the risk assessment of new chemicals and provide the technical competence needed for the European inventory of existing commercial chemical substances (EINECS). In relationship to the Council Regulation on the evaluation and control of existing chemical substances, the Bureau will be responsible for collecting data submitted by industry and establishing and maintaining the European chemicals information data-base (EUCLID) and other dissemination activities on existing chemicals. The Bureau will furnish the necessary support activities related to the preparation of lists of priority chemicals and the drawing up of agreed risk assessments for them. Within the scope of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2455/96 concerning the export and import of certain dangerous chemicals, the Bureau will provide the scientific and technical support related to the implementation of the Regulation and in particular the provision of up-to-date scientific and technical information on banned or restricted chemicals.