Pre-marketing set of data

Work To Date. From 1977-80, the most intensive and productive OECD activities focused upon Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD) and the development of test guidelines and GLP s. Efforts also were devoted to the Step Sequence Group and, in particular, that body s efforts to develop a Minimum Pre-Marketing Set of Data (MPD). Technical and scientific work also progressed on the various hazard assessment issues and expert groups worked on recommendations concerning confidential data, definitions of key terms, and principles of information exchange. 

Reg. 8986, Jan. 27, 1981. Although this guidance would not have imposed any legal obligation upon companies to conduct tests for those effects, it endorsed the OECD s "Minimum Pre-Marketing Set of Data" (MPD), a "base set" of tests to be performed on most new chemicals. However, following the change in Administration in 1981, the U.S. withdrew its active support for the MPD. For a further discussion of this issue, see the next part of this paper. 

Decision on the Minimum Pre-marketing Set of Data in the Assessment of Chemicals (C(82)196/ Final). 

This principle is fundamental to numerous multilateral agreements and treaties. As mentioned in the conclusions quoted above, in order to make Precaution operational, pre-marketing measures ensuring the availability of an adequate set of information on the properties of chemicals are essential. Thus in order to be "safe instead of sorry" REACH establishes not only the "no data no market" approach but also an authorisation regime for substances of very high concern as they are representing serious hazards to human health and the environment. Particular inherent properties are directly linked to risk reduction measures - an unprecedented application of the Precautionary Principle. 

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