National Inspectorates - Germany

In Germany, the Competent Authority for REACH, CLP and Biocides is the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin” – BAuA). BAuA acts as the general Focal Point to the European Commission for the three regulations. It is also responsible for risk management and operates the national REACH-CLP-Biocides Helpdesk.

In addition, BAuA is the Designated National Authority (DNA) for the PIC Regulation and the Competent Authority for the POP Regulation.

As Germany is a Federal Republic, enforcement is under the sole responsibility of the indi-vidual Federal States (“Länder”). To them, BAuA provides scientific expertise, informa-tional services (such as training events, brochures and guidelines) and legal support. BAuA also acts as their Focal Point for contacting other European authorities.

The regional enforcement authorities of the “Länder” conduct regular inspections on com-panies and products on the German market. They also run focused enforcement projects and check up on imports in cooperation with national customs authorities.

The above mentioned authorities meet regularly in various working groups and commit-tees, such as the Working Committee of the Federal Government and the Federal States on Chemical Safety (“Bund/Länder Arbeitsgemeinschaft Chemikaliensicherheit” – BLAC) in order to solve common issues and to ensure harmonised enforcement.

Further information:

• Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - Federal Office for Chemicals
• Various regional enforcement authorities - ICSMS search engine for contact details