Monthly Briefing – February 2012 issue

In this month's Briefing:

key articles:

• Geraint Roberts reports on Unep’s efforts to make the case for sound chemicals management and how some developing countries are using its tools;
• Emma Chynoweth summarises the outcome of the latest session of Unece’s Sub-Committee of Experts on the GHS;
• Sean Milmo feeds back from Ecetoc’s recent workshop on the relevance of epigenetics to chemicals evaluation;

Other features:

• In this month’s Guest Column, ECHA chief Geert Dancet outlines the agency’s challenges in 2012;
• Geraint Roberts gives the results from our survey of REACH competent authorities, which asked them why they had not nominated more substances for the candidate list;
• David Azoulay of Ciel argues that a separate EU Regulation on the registration of nanomaterials under REACH is needed;
• Dr Anna Gergely and Laurel Berzanskis of Steptoe & Johnson remind food contact material producers they must comply with REACH besides the food contact framework Regulation;
• Ralph Heinrich Ahrens reports how food and drink companies in Serbia and their chemical suppliers are enjoying the benefits of chemical leasing;
• Tony Stovold hears why the Oeko-Tex standard for chemicals used in textile products became well established;
• in this month's CLP Clinic, REACHReady's Bob Warner advises firms on how to devise a strategy for mixtures;
• in the REACH Hub column (formerly Dr REACH), Yvan Bisschops of ReachCentrum looks at the problems facing firms with substances that must be registered in 2013 but which lack a lead registrant.