ECHA is active in developing and promoting the application of socio-economic analysis in the field of regulating chemicals.

 

As a follow-up to the ECHA/European Commission Conference on lessons learnt from applications for authorisation, ECHA has selected examples of socio-economic analyses and analyses of alternatives from received applications that could be read by future applicants.
These examples are illustrative in terms of the clarity of reporting, the coverage of the key issues as well as the extent to which the analyses are evidence-based and referenced.
ECHA's intention is to update the list periodically with the aim of having a good coverage of examples relevant to applications for authorisation.

ECHA has started a project to help identifying alternatives to substances that could be candidates for a restriction or subject to other regulatory risk management measures, e.g. authorisation. The results of this project will be used to help EU Member States prepare restriction proposals or even provide inspiration for new proposals. The project will also investigate the methods used by industry to identify safer alternatives to hazardous substances.

ECHA has been studying the economic value of the benefits that arise from avoiding various health endpoints associated with the exposure to chemicals. For that purpose, ECHA commissioned a large willingness-to-pay study conducted in four EU-countries. The results obtained from this study provide succinct information for the evaluation of health and environmental impacts of chemicals.
 

ECHA is working to assess the compliance costs of reducing emissions or use of specific chemicals by using alternative substances or techniques. This is relevant in both authorisation and restriction processes, as compliance costs of risk management options are one of the key issues that the Socio-economic Analysis Committee needs to give an opinion on when examining a restriction proposal or a request for authorisation.
 

With the aim of increasing the understanding of the role of socio-economic analysis as part of chemicals risk management, ECHA organises workshops, seminars and other events to build the capacity of Member States and stakeholders to perform socio-economic analysis. ECHA also takes part in international collaborations with the OECD and its Member countries.

ECHA maintains a website with a number of sources of information that may be of use to those preparing a socio-economic analysis under REACH.