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(422) Does the EU Assessment Program on Existing Chemicals Sufficiently Contribute to the Reduction of Chemicals Risk ? Ahrens, Andreas1,2, 1 2 ABSTRACT- By autumn 2000, the risk of 48 out of about 100.000 chemical substances potentially existing on the EU market before 1981 has been assessed. Only for 5 substances among these no concern was concluded. Legally binding risk reduction measures on Community following a 793/93 assessment have not been taken at all by now. The figures may suggest that EU Regulation 793/93 has delivered nearly nothing so far. However, several instruments have been worked out during the last years which are the basis for better performance in future: i) data base on European companies producing or importing more than 10 t of chemicals per year, including data on the intrinsic properties, uses and volumes, ii) agreed on priority setting mechanism to feed a limited number of substances of potentially high concern into the process, iii) assessment mechanism which motivates the chemical industry to deliver sufficient data, iv) agreed concept how to handle uncertainties and v) co-operation patterns ensuring a high quality of results. Nevertheless there is the need to introduce new instruments: i) an obligation for chemicals traders and down stream users to provide data on volumes and uses of priority substances, ii) an assessment concept allowing to conclude concern based on highly hazardous properties or environmental occurrence of xenobiotics regardless the dose-response relationship, ii) comparative risk assessment triggering substitution of hazardous substances by less hazardous alternatives. Key words: risk, assessement, chemicals |
