Policy Recommendations

"Capacity for risk assessment and interpretation" and "establishment of risk management policy" were identified in Chapter 19 of Agenda 21 as some of the basic elements of a national system for the sound management of chemicals.

In addition, a growing number of international agreements dealing with chemicals of international concern, such as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) or chemicals included in the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure oblige countries to make national risk management decisions concerning priority chemicals. Under Annex I of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade (PIC), which addresses information requirements for notifications made pursuant to Article 5, notifications for final regulatory action within a country shall include:

(iv) Indication of whether the final regulatory action was taken on the basis of a risk or hazard evaluation and, if so, information on such evaluation, covering a reference to the relevant documentation;

(v) Reasons for the final regulatory action relevant to human health, including the health of consumers and workers, or the environment;

(vi) Summary of the hazards and risks presented by the chemical to human health, including the health of consumers and workers, or the environment and the expected effect of the final regulatory action. [emphasis added].