ECHA Management Board adopts Work Programme for 2012 and policy on avoiding potential conflicts of interest

ECHA/PR/11/22
Press release
Media enquiries: ECHA Press

On 29 and 30 September 2011, ECHA's Management Board held its 23rd plenary meeting and took a number of important strategic decisions.

Helsinki, 04 October 2011 - The Management Board adopted the ECHA Work Programme for 2012. It describes ECHA's activities in the year before the 2013 REACH registration deadline. Apart from ensuring the readiness for the 2013 deadline, the priorities for ECHA in 2012 will be to live up to the expectations on evaluation, authorisation applications as well as preparation for the new Biocides and PIC regulations. Providing information for the public will also be a focus of the Agency's attention in 2012. The Programme is based on the assumption that ECHA will receive approval from the EU Budgetary Authority for ten new posts. If this is not approved, the Programme will be reviewed by the Management Board in December 2011.

The Board also adopted a Policy for avoiding and managing potential conflicts of interest. The new policy will shortly be available on the ECHA website. It demonstrates the importance of transparency and independence of decision-making: two of ECHA's core values.

Concerning international relations, the Management Board decided to invite Croatia as an observer to ECHA's Committees and Forum. In addition, Serbia was invited as guest to the next HelpNet Steering Group meeting. The Board will decide on the inclusion of Serbia as an observer in the work of the HelpNet at its next meeting, by when the further developments regarding Serbia's candidate status for EU accession are expected to become clearer.

As an appointing authority of the Executive Director, the Management Board also agreed at the meeting to initiate a procedure to prolong the Executive Director's mandate. The Commission was informed that a new selection procedure is thus not required.

The Chairman of the Management Board, Dr. Thomas Jakl commented: "After the first REACH registration deadline was impressively managed by ECHA in 2010, there is no time to rest on our laurels. Challenging further steps of the REACH and CLP implementation lie ahead and the legislator is in the process of entrusting important new regulatory tasks to the Agency. The continuation decision with regard to a selection process for the Executive Director reflects the high satisfaction of the Board with his achievements since 2007."

The meeting was hosted by the Maltese Government. The Management Board Members were welcomed by Dr Chris Said, the Parliamentary Secretary for Consumers, Fair Competion and Public Dialogue and held an exchange of views with representatives of the national competent authority for REACH and CLP.

The minutes of the meeting will be published on the ECHA website after their adoption at the next Management Board meeting which will be held in Helsinki from 15-16 December 2011.