ECHA

ECHA organised the first annual planning meeting for the Directors of Member State Competent Authorities on 14 December. The purpose of the meeting was to plan together the workload for 2012-2015 and discuss ways of improving cooperation. 43 participants from 25 countries took part in the meeting.

Topics on the agenda included the Member States' plans for substance evaluation and Annex XV dossiers for 2012-2015, ECHA's multiannual planning, the workload of the Committees and Member States' access to REACH-IT and IUCLID. Member States had sent their national plans for substance evaluation, Annex XV dossiers and CLH dossiers for 2012-2015 to ECHA, with these numbers serving as a basis for discussions on the future workload. One goal was to raise awareness on sharing the work more equally, as many Member States are still not yet active with these tasks.

In anticipation of the 2013 registration deadline, the participants held an exchange about the resources for helpdesks and different possibilities to raise awareness and support small and medium sized enterprises.

The Dutch representative held a presentation on the need for more effectiveness and enhanced communication between MSCAs and ECHA. The Slovenian participant explained the useful experience of cooperating with Germany in RAC, with Annex XV dossier preparations and Biocides. Several MSCA representatives offered their help for less experienced Member States in order to assist them in similar ways.
 

Text by Tiiu Bräutigam