TOP-DOWN REGULATION

Olli K, Wassmann P, Reigstad M, Ratkova TN, Arashkevich E, Pasternak A, Matrai P, Knulst J, Tranvik L, Haarakalju R, Jakobsen A (2007) The fate of production in the central Arctic Ocean-top-down regulation by zooplankton expatriates Prog. Oceanogr 72(1) 84—113... 

Menge BA (2000) Top-down and bottom-up community regulation in marine rocky intertidal habitats. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 250 257-289... 

To further balance the top-down elements of the REACH regulation, the following bottom-up approaches to risk management have been incorporated into the systems framework ... 

The contrast between Figure 7.1(a) and (b) supports the view expressed by many interviewees that REACH is another example of EU top-down legislation. One cannot therefore help but ask whether EU ministers and parliamentarians know what they are voting on. There must be a suspicion that the scientific and technical aspects of the regulation, and hence its practical viability, do not matter to EU politicians. 

Most regulators follow a top-down approach similar to the four-level review process described by the FDA 3... 

A number of OECD Test Guidelines based on in vitro methods related to the endpoint of ocular irritation have already been adopted (i.e., OECD TG 437,438,460). A draft TG based on the CM test method is under discussion at OECD level. All these TG identify severe eye irritants (UN GHS Cat. 1) and/or chemicals not classified for eye hazards according to the UN GHS. Furthermore, they all describe the usefulness and limitations of the in vitro tests within the conceptual framework of the top-down and/or bottom-up approach. Currently, in the absence of methods able to identify cat. 2 chemicals in a bottom-up or top-down approach, ocular irritant chemicals (GHS Cat. 2) may be resolved by default in a last tier in both approaches, or if not acceptable by regulators, a confirmatory animal test may be requested. 

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