European Commission regulation

Given that there are 27 independent states involved in the EU with three states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway from the European Economic Commu-nity-European Free Trade Area (EEC-EFTA), it is important that the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and the European parliament enact regulations that will meet the needs of the peoples of the member nations relative to new medicinal advances. The founding legislation of the European Medicine Agency is found in Regulation (European Commission) No. 726/2004. The headquarters of the EMEA is located in London. 

Gasoline composition may also be regulated in Europe. A tripartite initiative is being carried out among the European Commission, the oil industry, and the automotive industry. Based on an analysis of the required improvements in air quaUty, new regulations are to be written that control vehicle emissions and fuel composition into the twenty-first century. 

In the European Union, coal-derived complex chemical substances, ie, those contained in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances, have been classified for carcinogenicity in the twenty-first adaptation to technical progress of the European Commission (EC) Dangerous Substances Directive 1994 67/548/EEC (57). The EC Regulation 793/93 requires data sets to be submitted by producers or importers to the... 

Technical Guidance Document in Support of the Commission Directive 93/67/EEC on Risk. Assessment for New Notified Substances and the Commission Regulation (EC) 1488/94 on Risk Assessment for Existing Substances, European Commission, 1996. 

European Commission (2003). Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament Concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). Brussels E.C. 

There are approximately 2000 existing active substances to be reviewed over a 10 year period. The European Commission and member states are currently working on producing a review Regulation which is expected to be in two parts. Part one will outline the process and may be accompanied by a list of existing active substances on the market. It is anticipated to be published by the end of this year. Part two of the review Regulation will follow some 18 months later and will contain the first list of active substances to be reviewed. 

European Commission (2006) Regulation No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH)... 

Commision Regulation (EC) No 1570/98, European Commission, Official Journal of the European Communities, L 205, Brussels, July 17, 1998 http //www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/archive/1998/ l 20519980722en.html (April 30, 2005). 

EC (European Commission) (2002a), Commission Regulation No 472/2002 of 12 March 2002 amending regulation (EC) No 466/2001 setting maximum limits for certain contaminants in food stuffs , Official J. Europ. Union, L77, 1-13. 

European Commission (2004) Regulation (EC) 853/2004 (applicable from 1.01.2005) on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs /Regulation on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs, Primary Production. 

The European Commission published the first draft (a. 11) of the REACH legislation to implement the White Paper on 7 May 2003. There was an 8-week Internet consultation on the workability of this legislation from 16 May to 10 July 2003, and about 6,400 contributions were received. The final proposed Regulation (a. 12), which took account of the Internet consultation, was presented on 29 October 2003. These formal legislative proposals have to be discussed by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament under the Codecision Procedure. 

We are told here that the European Commission is currently revising the way in which it grants exemptions to its ban on HCFC-14 lb blowing agents, under the terms of its ozone-depleting substances (ODS) regulations. The reasons for this move are explained fully in this informative article. EUROPEAN COMMISSION ATOFINA SOLVAY HONEYWELL... 

Cefic claims that polymeric materials, reaction intermediates and substances used for R D should not be subject to the REACH evaluation and authorisation process being proposed by the European Commission in its White Paper on future chemicals policy, it is briefly reported. On specific issues, Cefic wants a risk-based approach to chemicals assessment and regulation realistic deadlines for the REACH process and exemption from REACH of finished articles, so that it applies only to substances marketed as substances or as constituents of a preparation. 

A brief report is presented on the decision made by the European Commission regarding the implementation of a European Polluting Emissions Register and on two proposals, which aim to regulate and reduce water and air pollution. The decision requires member states to report to the Commission on emissions from all individual facilities with one or more specific activities. Some of the substances classified as pollutants are listed and the national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants agreed for each member country are indicated. 

Under the Existing Substances Regulation, which was passed in 1993, individual member states are allocated substances for which they are responsible for the risk assessment. To date, three priority fists for assessment have been drawn up, which cover just over 100 chemicals. Following the conclusion of four risk assessments, the European Commission has recently issued a recommendation on the results on the risk evaluation and on the risk reduction strategies for the following substances 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol 2-,(-methoxyethoxy) ethanol alkanes, C10-13, chloro and benzene, C 10-13-alkyl derivatives. For two of the substances, 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol and 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethanol it is concluded that there is a need for specific measures to limit the risks to workers... 

This chapter uses the formal EU risk assessment methodology laid down in the European Commission Regulation (1488/94) and follows closely the principles of the technical Guidance Document [1] of the Existing Substances Regulation (793/93). 

HarmonHy (2006). HarmonHy Harmonization of Regulations, Codes and Standards for a Sustainable Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology. Support Action funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme. www.harmonhy.com. 

---