ECHA

ECHA launched its new website on 15 December. The new website is the first externally visible element of our revised corporate identity that helps us to better respond to the expectations of our stakeholders in all of our activities.

During 2010, ECHA made a number of enquiries from different stakeholder groups and our staff, which have given us an understanding of our reputation both inside and outside the Agency. Each of these gave valuable insight into ECHA's reputation and how the Agency needs to work in future to meet its objectives. The enquiries showed that although stakeholders and staff appreciate our efforts, there are a number of areas where our communication and approach to external and internal stakeholders could be improved.

On the basis of this feedback, a corporate identity project was initiated and the mission, vision and values of ECHA have been reviewed and amended. They are not radically different from the original ones, but intend to bring clarity to what the main elements are. We have also clearly identified our four key services: helping compliance with the chemicals legislation; advancing the safe use of chemicals; providing information on chemicals and addressing chemicals of concern.

We are now implementing our corporate identity by embedding the new values in all of our services and activities. This will not happen over night and requires perseverance. The main objective is to make sure that the services we deliver and the way we communicate really reflect our values and correspond to the needs of our different target audiences.

New logo and visuals promote recognition and ensure coherency

ECHA's new visual identity that has been introduced as part of the corporate identity process reflects upon the key pillars of the corporate identity and signals our five core values: transparent, independent, trustworthy, efficient and committed to wellbeing. The new logo and corporate colours are the outcome of extensive consultation with the management and staff to come up with a modern look that promotes public recognition of the Agency and our contribution to the safe management of chemicals in Europe. Having more coherent and consistent visuals in all of ECHA's communications also helps our stakeholders in identifying our messages.

New ECHA website - not just a 'change of clothes'

Our new website has been designed with the needs of the stakeholders and public in mind, offering a clear content structure, improved navigation and search functionality, and providing better access to information on chemicals. The new site features a modern and intuitive design that showcases ECHA's new visual identity.

An important feature of the new site is the search for chemicals: you can enter the name of a substance in a single search field and find out all the lists and databases where the given substance is included; every user can check if a substance is in the Candidate List, part of an ongoing public consultation or if there is any documentation associated to it.

The new organisation of the pages allows you to easily find your way through the website. For example, a newly designed support section works as an entry point for all Guidance documents, manuals, webinars and training material.

New ECHA website.

All the documents are now collected in a document library, where they can be easily searched and browsed.

We are focused on keeping the website constantly updated, and recommend you to frequently visit it. The front page works as a hub throughout the website, including the most relevant news, press releases as well as information on the status of the latest public consultations, Guidance publications and general web updates. We are doing our best to provide you with a website translated in the official 22 EU languages.

We are now launching the first version, but the ECHA website will constantly be developed and updated, with many improvements around the corner. The site is not a static, fixed entity but an evolving, growing communication tool.

We invite our readers to go and explore the site.

Get familiar with it and find the relevant content for you - and send us feedback via the ECHA Information Desk.

Text by Hanna-Kaisa Torkkeli