The Eurasian Economic Commission, which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, has adopted a regulation on the safety of chemical products, which will become legally binding when the three countries agree on implementation details.
Implementation issues yet to be resolved include the procedure to establish and maintain a chemicals register, how to notify of new substances, registration deadlines, type of documents to be submitted, rules on confidential business information (CBI) and rights to use the data submitted.
14 May 2014: The Eurasian Economic Commission, which includes Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, has adopted a regulation on the safety of chemical products, which will become legally binding when the three countries agree on implementation details. Implementation issues yet to be resolved include the procedure to establish and maintain a chemicals register, how to notify of new substances, registration deadlines, type of documents to be submitted, rules on confidential business information (CBI) and rights to use the data submitted.
According to UN Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction, it is hoped that implementation issues will be agreed by 2015.
The regulation lists the general provisions for managing chemicals including industry’s obligation to register substances, classify them and provide precautionary labels in accordance with the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS). It also requires manufacturers to provide information on testing, as well as guidance on safe handling of substances, prior to such substances being marketed.
OzonAction says the Russian Federation is currently working to develop a definition of substances of very high concern, using several international protocols including the Montreal Protocol and the Rotterdam Convention for guidance. [Publication: OzoNews, 15 May 2014, Vol XIV]