The ICTA SSHE Committee has produced a useful general overview of the upcoming deadlines based on information found online. This overview can help ICTA members get a first understanding of local applicable legislations and find their way to the relevant legislation. The document covers Australia, Canada, China, EU, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, US, UK. Note that Vietnam is also working on a national chemical inventory, requiring companies to submit e.g. tonnage bands and safety datasheets.

The ICTA document has recently been updated and can be found on the extranet here.One of the challenges for chemical distributors is ensuring compliance with the different chemical legislations for all jurisdictions in which they operate. Several countries have well-established regulatory systems, while others are currently developing new regulation for chemical substances. Often these countries use a system similar to EU REACH.
 

With its Chemical Sustainability Strategy, the EU has launched the world’s most ambitious chemical policy agenda. It aims to develop and deploy sustainable chemicals, while seriously limiting the production and use of hazardous chemicals. To achieve this, the EU looks beyond the chemical manufacturers to include the entire chemical value chain. Key elements of this strategy have been at least ten years in the making and the new strategy now joins together over 60 different measures. The package is larger than REACH when launched!

The strategy will have ramifications far beyond the EU. The EU aims to play a leading role globally by championing and promoting its standards. It will focus on full enforcement of its rules both internally and at its borders to ensure a level playing field. Moreover, the EU will pursue a policy of re-shoring production of critical chemicals for health and for achieving a climate-neutral and circular economy. The proposed measures further include e.g. expanding the hazard classes of the UN GHS and prohibiting export of hazardous chemicals that are banned in the EU. 

ICTA is involved in global policy discussions with the EU about sustainability and free trade, jointly with other international chemical industry associations. ICCA/Cefic will execute a full impact assessment of the strategy overseen by its Executive Committee. ICTA and several of its members support the research and will cooperate closely with ICCA/Cefic e.g. by providing data of the impact on the chemical distribution industry.
In February, ICTA will host a webinar about this very important subject. Jointly with the ICCA/Cefic expert team, led by Director General Marco Mensink. The key elements of the EU Strategy will be explained as well as the background of the answer by industry, e.g. organizing a dialogue on the need for a Future Chemicals – sectoral – Green Deal. After that, there will be ample room for questions and discussion about the concerns and opportunities for global chemical distributors.

The webinar will take place on 22 February from 17.00 to 18.00 CET. 

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed “the State of the Planet” and made an urgent appeal for a course correction to avert a climate catastrophe. In his speech, he referred to the negotiations about the framework on chemicals and waste after 2020, noting this is an important part of the solution towards healing our planet. He highlighted that according to the World Health Organization, sound chemicals management could prevent at least 1.6 million deaths per year. He urged to focus not only on the terrestrial but also on the marine environments when reducing chemical pollution. ICTA participates in the global negotiations about the future framework on chemicals and waste. See here.