I thank the Chairman and the rest of the members of the joint committee. As representatives of the Health and Safety Authority, my colleagues and I welcome the opportunity to update the committee on the authority's strategy on REACH implementation and enforcement. I am the assistant chief executive of the authority's chemicals policy and services division, which was established recently. As the written submission we presented to the committee is quite long and detailed, I will summarise it for the members. I hope to give them the broadest possible overview of what we are trying to do as we prepare for REACH. I propose to outline the background and the context of REACH, which essentially represents a challenge and an opportunity for those who will have obligations under the regulation.
There should be no need for alarm on the part of industry in respect of the forthcoming implementation of REACH. Industry will be obliged to step up to the plate, however, and take on board the enhanced responsibilities that are being introduced to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of employees and citizens and to protect the environment. I do not think anybody disagrees that this is a modern business requirement.
The proposed REACH regulation consolidates existing legislation and sets out some new provisions. The existing chemicals legislation has been in place since 1967. Many aspects of the four main instruments in that legislation deal with the substances or preparations that are introduced in the marketplace. After 40 years had passed and 40 legislative provisions had been introduced, various authorities and industry interests called for modernisation. They considered that the existing regime was unwieldy, not transparent and often slow to identify and respond to the real risks posed by chemicals.
REACH seeks to bridge the information gaps in the supply chain. It is not acceptable that, according to recent estimates, little information is publicly available regarding approximately 30,000 chemicals that are on the market. It is not always possible for downstream users of chemicals to obtain the information they need from their suppliers. The current system was not really designed to encourage innovation. Essentially, it places the burden on those who developed new substances by requiring them to undergo a regulatory testing procedure. The system basically penalises companies rather than stimulates them for innovation. The European chemical industry is lagging behind its competitors in Japan and elsewhere.
As a result of these various concerns, action was sought. In 2005, the Government designated the Health and Safety Authority as the interim competent authority for the REACH regulation. Additional funding and resources were provided to the authority in recognition of its significant extra role. Before I refer in detail to the authority's preparations for its new role, I would like to emphasise that Ireland's preparations in this regard are much more advanced than those of many other EU member states. Ireland was the first member state to appoint a competent authority. As a result, the preparation for implementation in Ireland is well advanced.
In developing its approach to REACH, the Health and Safety Authority has basically taken the key objectives of REACH as a starting point. We are seeking to ensure there is a high level of protection of human health in the environment, while enhancing competitiveness and innovation. We aim to achieve these objectives by doing three things. We are preparing ourselves, providing support and going into partnership with other competent authorities and the future central agency. As part of our preparations, we established a chemicals policy division within the authority and I took up my current position on 24 April. It is the newest division of the authority and will be headquartered in Kilkenny when everything is up and running. We have a REACH implementation project team led by my colleague, Ms Cosgrave, which has been in place since the end of 2005. It is a cross-functional team within the authority which considers the different elements we will need to put in place including IT, administrative and technical support. Our immediate priorities are to provide technical and scientific advice to the Department in its negotiations, contribute to the Commission's interim strategy, develop and deliver our communications strategy to stakeholders and recruit the necessary staff. While I will not discuss the EU negotiations in detail as Ms O'Connor has already alluded to them, it is important to note our contribution to the Commission's interim strategy, the aim of which is to ensure that all stakeholders are adequately prepared.
A number of REACH implementation projects are ongoing, of which the authority is focusing on the information technology system and the guidance documents for industry and member states. On page 10 of our submission, members will see the list of REACH implementation projects in which we are actively involved. The guidance is intended to provide industry and the authorities with the necessary structures to observe their obligations under the REACH regulation. In addition, we review constantly and comment on other interim strategy work. A further priority in our preparations is the recruitment of the necessary staff, a process which is well under way. We intend to have all staff members in place by the time the main provisions of REACH are effective in 2008.
The provision of support and assistance is a key objective for the authority as none of the REACH obligations will be met in the absence of full awareness and training. We aim to provide support through a series of awareness campaigns which provide information, general training and a dedicated help desk. We aim to achieve this through consultation and partnership with employers and their representatives, employees and consumer and other groups which have an interest in the way REACH is implemented and enforced in Ireland. A key focus for the authority will be the provision of information to small and medium enterprises. We recognise that SMEs do not always have the necessary staff and financial resources to undertake additional work and aim to target them through specialised campaigns in partnership with organisations which work in that space. We will provide transparent and targeted information for the sector.
We are in the process of establishing a REACH help desk. Rather than create an entirely new structure, we are adding to our existing workplace contact unit, which already provides REACH information. Calls are already being made to the unit, as well as to individuals within the authority from people looking for precise information. In addition to providing the ability to talk to someone at the end of a phone line, we are reviewing our Internet provision. We hope the Internet will become a main provider to industry of guidance and answers to frequently asked questions. We hope also to partner with other organisations in the industry space to ensure good links which facilitate the provision of consistent, transparent information.
Our awareness raising campaign will kick off on 21 September with a representative group of stakeholders. The campaign has attracted strong interest from industry, employees and other groups. Our aim is to establish how we can all work together to raise awareness and provide training on REACH. REACH will be a collective exercise and cannot be implemented in isolation by individual organisations. The first events we have planned will take place in October and November. We continue to provide advice and expertise for trade associations and other groups which are preparing seminars. We have already provided input to IBEC and Enterprise Ireland seminars on REACH and I will make a presentation personally to IBEC in Cork on 14 September.
The authority's approach to REACH will be research based. Research will, I hope, yield a deeper and more comprehensive overview of the chemicals in use in Ireland and the manner in which they are used. The Health and Safety Authority hopes this information will enable us to prioritise our actions in regard to REACH in order that we can support industry in the areas about which it is most concerned and ensure best practice.
I will conclude on the Health and Safety Authority's overall preparations for REACH by briefly outlining our plans for partnership with other member states. The HSE regards such partnerships as an important function and intends to develop them with its counterparts in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland as soon as the competent authority for that jurisdiction has been formally announced. Through these interactions we will aim to provide for an integrated and consistent approach which will benefit all of the authorities and industry.
I do not propose to discuss in detail how REACH can work but members may find information in this regard in the presentation. I note that a delegation from IBEC raised some concerns about the level of support for industry at a meeting of the joint committee in April. I propose to address some of these concerns and clarify a few points.
Although REACH is major legislation, its main focus is on consolidating existing legislation rather than on new information. It is about producer responsibility as opposed to enforcing this responsibility throughout the supply chain. Duties are imposed only on those actors who are next to each other in the supply chain, for example, between the supplier and recipient, etc., and most methods currently used to provide information are maintained.
While the Health and Safety Authority is doing everything in its power to support industry through its awareness campaigns, training and a help desk, industry will still need to play its part. REACH reverses the burden of proof from the authorities to industry and, as such, it is up to industry to prove its chemicals are safe to use. With this reversal come significant changes and responsibilities which industry will have to address. While the HSA will play its part, industry must also play its part.
The Health and Safety Authority intends to implement REACH with the objective of fostering compliance and enforcement. In addition to the safety of employees and members of the public, our efforts will be focused on promoting innovation and the economic interests of Ireland.
