Accession countries need targeted support to prepare for EU chemicals laws

A recent study finds that Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Turkey need more resources to implement the EU’s chemicals laws. ECHA is supporting them through capacity building and training.

Helsinki, 13 April 2022 - For the past 10 years, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Turkey have worked to harmonise their legal frameworks for managing chemicals with EU regulations. ECHA has aided their progress under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance on behalf of the European Commission. 

A new study, commissioned by ECHA on behalf of the European Commission, has generated national action plans and identified gaps and shortcomings in the capacity of the five candidates and pre-candidates to EU accession to enact EU chemicals legislation. They would need more financial, human and IT resources to successfully implement and enforce the REACH, CLP, BPR, PIC and POPs regulations. The study also recommends them to strengthen cooperation with academia, increase communications activities and devote more resources to IT.  

To enable future membership, the study suggests that the five candidates and pre-candidates to EU accession, ECHA and EU Member States will need to intensify their work through several actions listed in the national plans. ECHA stands ready to continue supporting Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Turkey by providing training to their authorities on risk assessment, IT security and tools, as well as enforcement.