Industrial Pollution & Chemicals

Our Work

IEEP has closely followed the development of European chemicals legislation for many years and contributed to the implementation of the landmark REACH Regulation. In 2007, IEEP Senior Fellow Marc Pallemaerts was appointed by the European Commission as a non-voting member of the Management Board of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) as the representative of environmental and consumer NGOs. In this capacity, he attended Management Board meetings and participated in the process of this new EU Agency’s establishment, until his appointment as an alternate and additional member of the ECHA Board of Appeal in September 2008. At the national level, IEEP has been represented by Peter Hjerp in the UK Chemicals Stakeholder Forum, which advises the UK Government on how industry should reduce the environmental and human health risks from hazardous chemicals.

IEEP also provided advice to the Belgian authorities on the legal and institutional implications of the implementation of REACH in Belgium’s federal system. In all, two separate studies were carried out for the Federal Public Service for Public Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, which served as a basis for institutional, legislative and regulatory changes and the conclusion of a cooperation agreement between the federal and regional authorities in charge of various aspects of REACH implementation.

Latest in Chemicals

  • The Manual: Chapter 8 - Chemicals

    This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. This chapter on chemicals focuses on the two main strands of EU chemicals policy: REACH – (Registration, evaluation, authorisation of restricted chemicals) and CLP – (classification, labelling and packaging).

  • Environmental policy and the UK’s review of the EU Balance of Competences

    The UK Government’s Balance of Competences review has now taken evidence on 25 subject areas, including the 6 with the most relevance for the Environment. We take stock of the IEEP’s contributions, and consider what a possible UK renegotiation might mean for the environment.