European Chemicals Agency – ECHA | European Union (2024)

Overview

  • Role: ECHA protects health and the environment through its work for chemical safety
  • Director: Sharon McGuinness
  • Established in: 2007
  • Number of staff: about 600
  • Location: Helsinki, Finland
  • Website:ECHA

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) works for the safe use of chemicals. It implements the EU's groundbreaking chemicals legislation, benefiting human health, the environment and innovation and competitiveness in Europe.

What it does

Who benefits

  • Members of the public and the environmentare less exposed to hazardous chemicals and benefit from safer products. Consumers can ask about hazardous chemicals in the products they buy.
  • Workers and other users of chemicalsbenefit from improved information about the hazards of chemicals they handle, and how to use them safely.
  • Industryis helped to comply with legislation. Innovative companies can take advantage of the need to phase out the most hazardous substances.
  • Developing countriesreceive information on how to handle hazardous chemicals safely.

Further information

About ECHA

Job vacancies

News

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Information on chemicals

European Chemicals Agency – ECHA | European Union (2024)

FAQs

European Chemicals Agency – ECHA | European Union? ›

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) works for the safe use of chemicals. It implements the EU's groundbreaking chemicals legislation, benefiting human health, the environment and innovation and competitiveness in Europe.

Is ECHA a government agency? ›

ECHA is an EU agency, governed by EU public law. It has its own legal personality, but works together with the EU institutions, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and with other EU agencies.

Who is the CEO of the European Chemicals Agency? ›

Dr Sharon McGuinness was appointed by the Management Board as Executive Director and took up her role on 1 December 2022. Prior to joining ECHA, Dr McGuinness was the Chief Executive Officer of the Health and Safety Authority from July 2018 to October 2022.

Where is ECHA located? ›

The European Chemicals Agency is an agency of the European Union which manages the technical and administrative aspects of the implementation of the European Union regulation called Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). It is located in Helsinki, Finland.

Who regulates chemicals in Europe? ›

European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) - the EU agency committed to implementing EU chemicals legislation. Chemicals in Our Life - website providing an overview of the various chemicals we come across daily as well as their impacts.

What is the purpose of the ECHA? ›

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) works for the safe use of chemicals. It implements the EU's groundbreaking chemicals legislation, benefiting human health, the environment and innovation and competitiveness in Europe.

Is European Medicines Agency a government agency? ›

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is a European Agency as it is a decentralized body governed by European public law; it has its own legal personality and is also distinct from the European Union institutions (Council, Parliament, Commission, etc.).

How do I contact Echa? ›

Contact
  1. Visiting address. Telakkakatu 6. 00150 Helsinki. ...
  2. Mailing address. European Chemicals Agency. Registry of the Board of Appeal. ...
  3. Telefax. +358-9-68 61 89 30.
  4. E-mail. appeal@echa.europa.eu. Enquiry form. ...
  5. Appeal fee. The appeal fee shall be paid into the following bank account of the Agency:

Where is the European Medicines Agency located? ›

The European Medicines Agency's office is located in Amsterdam.

Where is the European External Action Service located? ›

The EEAS Headquarters are located in Brussels. For questions related to external relations and foreign policy, please use this form. For detailed contact information, please check the different websites. For media inquiries, please contact the EEAS Press team.

What is European equivalent of FDA? ›

European Medicines Agency (EMA) : EMA is a decentralized body of the European Union, located in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It is responsible for the scientific evaluation, supervision, and safety monitoring of medicines for human and veterinary use in the EU.

Who regulates most chemicals in the US? ›

EPA regulates the production and distribution of commercial and industrial chemicals, in order to ensure that chemicals for sale and use in the United States do not harm human health or the environment.

How many chemicals are banned in Europe? ›

The EU has banned around 2,000 hazardous chemicals over the last 13 years, more than any other world region. But these restrictions apply to very few products, such as cosmetics and toys. Roughly the same substances will now be banned from childcare items, a larger product group than toys or cosmetics.

How does ECHA work for active substance approval? ›

The BPC has 270 days to deliver an opinion through a peer review assessment and to submit this opinion to the Commission. The Commission takes a decision on the approval of the active substance. Following a positive decision, the active substance is included on the Union list of approved active substances.

What is the European Chemical Substances Information System? ›

The European chemical Substances Information System (ESIS) was a chemoinformatics database that stored information system on chemicals of the European Union. It was created in the year 2003 by the former European Chemicals Bureau, which completed its mandate in 2008.

Who is the new ECHA director? ›

Helsinki, 1 December 2022 – Dr Sharon McGuinness starts her five-year term as Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency today.

What does SCIP stand for ECHA? ›

SCIP is the database for information on Substances of Concern In articles as such or in complex objects (Products) established under the Waste Framework Directive (WFD).

References

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