At the information session on the “1 substance, 1 assessment” (1S1A) initiative organised by the European Commission on 1 June 2022, the speakers, after a general presentation of the concept, went into the details of each of its components. Peter Korytár, Policy Coordinator in the Chemicals Unit of DG Environment, presented the new coordination mechanism through the extension of ACT and PACT, as well as the composition and remit of the new Ad Hoc Expert Group.
The development of a coordination mechanism is one of the building blocks of the “1 substance, 1 assessment” (1S1A) initiative.
It has two main objectives:
• Establish cooperation between the Commission, European agencies and Member States to support the implementation of the 1S1A approach
• Ensure that the initiation of safety assessments is done in a transparent and, as far as possible, coordinated way, with three prerequisites:
-> Where an assessment is proposed or initiated under one piece of legislation, ensure that full account is taken of the anticipated need for such an assessment or any other relevant aspects related to the assessment under other legislation or initiatives, so as to ensure coordinated action as far as possible
-> To avoid duplication of work, clarify the scope of the assessment at an early stage, giving priority to assessment by groups of substances with structural or functional similarities
-> Ensure that these actions do not lead to regulatory delays, restrict the right of initiative of Member States or significantly increase the administrative burden.
The Commission’s action plan
The way to achieve these objectives has been defined in the EU Chemicals Strategy, and consists of several points:
• Extend the Activities Coordination …
