National Inspectorates - Poland

The enforcement of provisions on chemicals in Poland is the competence of a few administrative authorities. The leading enforcement authority is the State Sanitary Inspection, the State Sanitary Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Military Sanitary Inspection, within the scope of their competences. Together with chemicals, the State Sanitary Inspection mission comprises also communicable diseases prevention and control, occupational and environmental hazard prevention, health and safety surveillance as well as health promotion.

The State Sanitary Inspection realises tasks in the field of public health in particular by monitoring the conditions of: hygiene, occupational hygiene, radiation hygiene, education and teaching process hygiene, food and nutrition safety, disease prevention and control.

Control activities are realised by inspectors on the regional level (counties, voivodeship and border sanitary and epidemiological stations), coordinated/supervised by Chief Sanitary Inspectorate. On the regional level inspectors dealing with chemicals and occupational health are responsible for supervising REACH, CLP, biocidal products, detergents, drug precursors category 2 and 3 and also occupational health issues.

Other authorities responsible for REACH & CLP enforcement are:

• The Inspection for Environmental Protection – regarding risks to the environment
• The National Labour Inspection – regarding the enforcement and inspection of compliance with the provisions of national laws, particularly labour protection - within the scope of its competence
• The Trade Inspection – mainly with regard to wholesale, retail and consumers: compliance with obligation to provide the recipient of a substance or mixture with SDS surveillance of labelling in case of retail and wholesale trade compliance with provisions concerning restrictions, within Trade Inspection competence
• The State Fire Service – regarding adequate labelling of the places where explosive, oxidizing and flammable substances/mixtures are stored
• National Revenue Administration (customs authorities)- regarding compliance with the provisions concerning: export and import of dangerous chemicals according to PIC regulation import of substances, mixtures and articles with regard to Annex XVII of REACH import of a substances, mixture or article referred to in Title VII of REACH

In Poland the national Forum of Cooperation of Inspections was established on 23 March 2010. Mechanisms specified in the aforementioned Agreement, introduced to provide good cooperation and information exchange as regards to the execution of REACH Regulation provisions. The Polish Forum of Cooperation of Inspections during its meetings discusses issues related to CLP Regulation and other chemical law and cooperates in the frame of realisation and coordination of joint surveillance and control. Parties of the above mentioned Polish Forum of Cooperation of Inspections share knowledge and information.

Authorities responsible for Biocides enforcement

BPR enforcement responsibilities are also divided among several institutions, and the enforcement strategies as well as control activities are similar to the description of REACH/CLP enforcement mentioned before. Again, the leading role was given to the State Sanitary Inspection - however, according to the Act of 9 October 2015 on biocidal products, it is not the only one in charge.

• The National Labour Inspection – deals with the enforcement and inspection of compliance of BPR provisions regarding labour protection issues.
• The State Fire Service - controls adequate labelling of the places where biocidal products are stored.
• The Trade Inspection – deals with the labelling of biocidal products and treated articles in the wholesale and retail sectors.
• The Inspection for Environmental Protection – inspects the handling of biocidal products and active substances that become waste and reviews procedures with regard to used packaging of these products.

Authorities responsible for Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

In Poland main authority responsible for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), also for the environmental monitoring, is The Inspection for Environmental Protection, however other authorities may also be involved if the issue touches food safety, animal safety or other emerging hazards connected to POPs.

National focal point for Stockholm Convention in Poland is located in Bureau for Chemical Substances