ENES Work programme to 2020 : towards good quality information on the safe use of chemicals in the REACH chemical safety report and the extended safety data sheet

This document sets out a programme of actions to improve information on safe use in the supply chains for chemicals. Its focus is the generation, communication and application of use and exposure information on hazardous substances and mixtures under the REACH Regulation, and the corresponding roles of registrants, distributors, formulators and end users. The programme builds on earlier work on the so-called ENES tools, to help registrants and formulators in their tasks.1 It includes new elements to address the needs of industrial and professional end users of chemicals. The actions have been identified in consultation with the corresponding stakeholders. The programme is a true collaborative effort, whose successful execution depends on the commitment and investment of all stakeholders. The ultimate objective of the improved communication in the supply chain is that the use of chemicals would become increasingly safer in the European Economic Area (EEA) (i.e. decreasing concentration or absence of hazardous substances in humans and in the environment; decreasing incidents of ill health among workers and consumers). For the chemical safety assessment and risk management advice, this means: - Manufacturers and importers of substances would assess their products against the real life conditions of use in their markets, and identify whether or not additional risk management measures or even the cessation of supply into certain uses (uses advised against) would be required. - Downstream companies not exercising adequate control would increasingly implement better practices, based on the information received in the extended safety data sheets.