Best European Chemicals Agency Podcasts (2024)

1
ECHA’s Member State Committee: Resolving divergences for chemical safety 32:51

27d ago32:51

32:51

In this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, we explore the vital work carried out by the European Chemicals Agency’s Member State Committee. Host Päivi Jokiniemi is joined by Katinka van der Jagt, Chair of the Member State Committee, alongside two of the committee's national members, Katarzyna Malkiewicz from the Swedish Chemicals Agency KEMI, …

1
Restricting PFAS in the EU: Next sectors to be evaluated by ECHA's committees 18:40

2M ago18:40

18:40

In this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, host Adam Elwan is joined by Roberto Scazzola, the Chair of ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee and Maria Ottati who chairs the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee to discuss the ongoing efforts and challenges in regulating harmful chemicals. The episode focuses on the universal PFAS restriction proposal, …

1
Biocidal Products Committee: Applicants responsible for making sure their dossiers are complete 20:28

2M ago20:28

20:28

ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee met during the last week of May 2024 and adopted altogether 18 opinions. Join Päivi Jokiniemi and Joost van Galen, the Chair of the Biocidal Products Committee, in this episode of Safer Chemicals Podcast. They discuss, for example, what happens when the assessment of endocrine disrupting properties is lacking from…

1
Advancing chemical safety: the impact of new hazard classes in the CLP Regulation 19:11

4M ago19:11

19:11

The Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation, also known as the CLP Regulation, requires companies to classify, label and package their hazardous chemicals appropriately before placing them on the EU market to protect health and the environment but also to ensure free movement of substances, mixtures and article. In this episode, the host…

1
Assessing EU's chemicals legislation: more needs to be done to make chemicals safe and sustainable 23:56

4M ago23:56

23:56

Welcome to this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, where we look into the EU indicator framework for chemicals, focused on improving chemical safety across Europe. The transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas, while in others, it is just beginning. This is the finding of a first, joint Europe-wide as…

1
PFAS restriction sectoral approach: Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committee highlights 18:51

5M ago18:51

18:51

This episode of the Safer Chemicals podcast, hosted by Adam Elwan from ECHA, dives into the work of the committees' work on the proposal to restrict per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Europe. Adam is joined by Roberto Scazzola and Maria Ottati, chairs of ECHA's Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis committees as they discuss the fi…

1
Joining forces for humans, animals, environment: One Health - Part 2 21:08

5M ago21:08

21:08

Our wellbeing depends on the health of animals, plants and our environment. What affects one affects all the others, and increasingly so. A One Health perspective is about joining forces to find integrated solutions to common challenges such as climate change and antibiotic resistance. Join us to hear from experts at five EU scientific agencies abo…

1
Joining forces for humans, animals, environment: One Health - Part 1 23:10

6M ago23:10

23:10

Our wellbeing depends on the health of animals, plants and our environment. What affects one affects all the others, and increasingly so. A One Health perspective is about joining forces to find integrated solutions to common challenges such as climate change and antibiotic resistance. Join us to hear from experts at five EU scientific agencies abo…

1
EU enforcement project: excessive levels of harmful chemicals found in consumer products 20:01

8M ago20:01

20:01

Welcome to the Safer Chemicals Podcast. In this episode, we explore an EU enforcement project that revealed concerning levels of banned chemicals in everyday consumer goods across Europe. The findings? A significant 18% non-compliance rate in various items like electrical devices, sports gear, toys, and fashion products. Join us as we discuss the p…

1
Unpacking 5 600 comments on PFAS restriction: Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committee highlights 19:17

8M ago19:17

19:17

Welcome to the Safer Chemicals Podcast. Join host Adam Elwan as he delves into the work of the European Chemicals Agency's scientific committees. In this episode, we talk about the record number of comments received for the proposed restriction of PFAS and the harmonised classification of tea tree oil. Discover the unprecedented public engagement a…

1
Biocidal Products Committee: Data gaps slowing down substance approvals and product authorisations 12:41

8M ago12:41

12:41

Join Päivi Jokiniemi and Joost van Galen in this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast. The episode focuses on the most important outcomes of the November meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Joost tells, for example, about the adopted Union authorisation opinions and explains why the Committee will continue discussing its opinion on an act…

1
Bridging the gap between scientific research and chemicals regulation 28:56

10M ago28:56

28:56

In this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast, we take you on a deep dive into the world of chemical safety with a spotlight on scientific research needs for the regulatory risk assessment of chemicals. Päivi Jokiniemi speaks with ECHA's experts, Wim De Coen and Fleur van Broekhuizen, who give insights into the significance of scientific research …

1
Banning creosote-treated wood: Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committee highlights 30:34

11M ago30:34

30:34

Join Adam Elwan in the latest episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast as he welcomes the new Chair of the Risk Assessment Committee, Roberto Scazzola, and Maria Ottati, Chair of the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee. They talk about the ongoing evaluation of the universal PFAS restriction proposal, France's proposal to restrict creosote-treated wood…

1
Biocidal Products Committee: New Chair's outlook on future challenges 17:28

11M ago17:28

17:28

After the summer break, the Biocidal Products Committee is back in business discussing the latest active substance and Union authorisation cases. In this episode, we will introduce Joost van Galen, the new Chair of the committee, who tells about his background and how it has prepared him for this new role. He also shares his thoughts about the main…

1
ECHA's committees in focus: Tim Bowmer reflects on 11 years as Chair, PFAS restrictions, and future outlook 36:42

1y ago36:42

36:42

Welcome to the Safer Chemicals Podcast, where we delve into the world of chemical risk management. In this episode, we speak with Tim Bowmer and Maria Ottati, Chairs of ECHA's Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committees. They update us on the universal PFAS restriction proposal, an ambitious initiative to minimise the release of persiste…

1
Enforcement Forum's impact and future: insights from the Forum's outgoing Chair 16:27

1y ago16:27

16:27

Join us in this episode of the Safer Chemicals Podcast as we explore the latest developments from the Enforcement Forum of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). In conversation with Katja vom Hofe, the outgoing Chair of the Forum, we reflect on the achievements and challenges faced in promoting chemical safety and enforcement. Discover how the Foru…

1
Biocidal Products Committee: reflecting on ten years of committee work 27:09

1y ago27:09

27:09

This episode gives you the highlights from the June meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Our guest is the Chair of the committee, Erik van de Plassche. In this episode we cover, for example, topical active substance and Union authorisation cases. We also discuss some procedural topics related to data that is generated after an active substan…

1
Risk Assessment Committee backs PFAS ban in firefighting foams 25:27

1+ y ago25:27

25:27

Tim Bowmer and María Ottati, Chairs of our committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis join us to share the highlights from their March 2023 meetings. On the agenda: • Restricting per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) The universal restriction proposal prepared by the authorities of Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and …

1
Biocidal Products Committee: Nitrogen generated from ambient air as a low-risk active substance 21:12

1+ y ago21:12

21:12

This episode gives you the highlights from the March meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Our guest is the Chair of the Committee, Erik van de Plassche. The main topic of the episode is the nitrogen generated from ambient air. We cover the main points of discussion and motivation for the committee’s opinion. Background The Committee prepares…

1
EU enforcement project: full compliance with EU chemicals law needed 31:05

1+ y ago31:05

31:05

The Forum on Enforcement’s EU wide project on assessing REACH authorisation duties found that the majority of users of substances of very high concern (SVHC), mainly SMEs, already comply with the authorisation requirement to control risks. Inspectors from 28 European countries checked compliance with REACH authorisation requirements in the Forum RE…

1
What we know about (bio)degradation and safety by design of nanomaterials 32:19

1+ y ago32:19

32:19

In this episode we focus on nanomaterials, and more specifically, on how they persist in the environment and how their safety should be considered already when the products are being designed. Nanomaterials have different properties than larger materials. Producing them opens new opportunities in many fields - but they may also have different effec…

1
Limiting lead use for outdoor shooting and fishing: Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committees 32:10

1+ y ago32:10

32:10

Our scientific committees have had their last meetings of the year and in this episode we cover the outcomes of the Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis committees. Tim, the Chair of the Risk Assessment Committee and Maria who chairs the Socio-Economic Analysis Committee join us. We talk about the restriction of lead ammunition for hunting a…

1
Biocidal Products Committee: Rodent traps can be effective at controlling house mice infestations 31:26

1+ y ago31:26

31:26

This episode gives you the highlights from the November meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Our guest is the Chair of the Committee, Erik van de Plassche. The main topic of the episode is the comparative assessment of anticoagulant rodenticides. We cover the main points of discussion and motivation for the committee’s opinion. We also discu…

1
EU enforcement project to focus on imported products: Enforcement Forum November highlights 18:19

1+ y ago18:19

18:19

Katja Vom Hofe, the Chair of the Enforcement Forum joins us to shed light on the discussions of the Forum in their November meeting. We talk about: The next REACH enforcement project that will investigate how companies fulfil their registration, authorisation and restriction obligations for products and chemicals they import from outside the EU. Th…

1
Biocidal Products Committee: Sulphur dioxide, iodine & anticoagulant rodenticides 31:55

2y ago31:55

31:55

Highlights from the September 2022 meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Our guest is Erik van de Plassche, the Chair of the Committee. We talk about: Active substance approvals Properties that lead to meeting exclusion or substitution criteria, specifically persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic or very persistent and very bioaccumulative sub…

1
Cancer-causing PAHs in clay targets need an EU-wide ban: Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committees' highlights 29:13

2y ago29:13

29:13

Tim Bowmer and Maria Ottati, Chairs of our committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis join us to share the highlights from their September meetings. On the agenda: Restricting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in clay targets for shooting The restriction prevents further environmental emissions of these toxic and very persiste…

1
OECD – 50 years of improving chemical safety worldwide 28:44

2y ago28:44

28:44

In 2022, the Chemicals Programme of the OECD – the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – celebrates its 50th anniversary. The aim of the programme has been to improve chemical safety worldwide. In this episode, we’ll speak with Bob Diderich, Head of the Environment, Health and Safety Division of the OECD. We first have a look bac…

1
Record number of opinions adopted in June meeting of the Biocidal Products Committee 30:24

2y ago30:24

30:24

This episode gives you the highlights from the June 2022 meeting of our Biocidal Products Committee. Our guest again is the Chair of the Committee, Erik van de Plassche. The Biocidal Products Committee prepares scientific opinions for the European Commission on biocidal active substances and on EU-wide authorisations of biocidal products. In June 2…

1
EU projects and transparency: Enforcement Forum June meeting highlights 25:18

2y ago25:18

25:18

Katja vom Hofe, the Chair of the Enforcement Forum joins us. She is just out of the Forum’s June meeting, and will be sharing the highlights. We talk about the Forum's upcoming and on-going enforcement projects, including preliminary results of an EU-wide project on REACH authorisation (REF-9) where inspectors conducted more than 450 inspections to…

1
Group assessment identifies need to restrict more than 30 bisphenols 24:18

2y ago24:18

24:18

Bisphenols are widely used and many are also known endocrine disruptors, which means that they can affect the hormonal systems of people and animals. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is probably the most known chemical in this group. It has been used since the 1960s in many consumer goods like re-usable plastic tableware, plastic bottles, CDs and sports equipm…

1
Glyphosate, lead and silver: Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis Committees Highlights - June 2022 38:58

2y ago38:58

38:58

Tim Bowmer and Maria Ottati, Chairs of our committees for risk assessment and socio-economic analysis join us for this episode to give us the highlights from their June meetings. We talk about two opinions on harmonised classification and labelling adopted by the Risk Assessment Committee: glyphosate, a common herbicide used in agriculture and hort…

1
EU Green Deal: paving the way for greener and safer chemicals 34:28

2y ago34:28

34:28

Martin Hojsík, a Slovak activist, environmental expert and Member of the European Parliament joins us for this episode. He is a Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and Vice-Chair of the Committee of Inquiry on the Protection of Animals during Transport. He is the European Chemicals Agency’s so-called 'liaison M…

1
Highlights from the March 2022 Risk Assessment and Socio-Economic Analysis committees 36:55

2+ y ago36:55

36:55

This episode gives you the highlights from the first 2022 meetings of the Committees for Risk Assessment (RAC) and Socio-Economic Analysis (SEAC). We interviewed the Chairs of the two committees, Tim Bowmer (RAC) and Maria Ottati (SEAC). Both Committees are made up of scientists nominated by EU Member States but appointed by the management Board of…

1
Highlights from the March 2022 Biocidal Products Committee 31:36

2+ y ago31:36

31:36

This episode covers the highlights from the first Biocidal Products Committee meeting in 2022, with Erik van de Plassche, Chair of ECHA’s Biocidal Products Committee. The Biocidal Products Committee prepares scientific opinions for the European Commission on biocidal active substances and on EU-wide authorisations of biocidal products. The Commissi…

1
Protecting our drinking water and food – EU restriction of PFAS in firefighting foams 13:56

2+ y ago13:56

13:56

In this episode, we speak with Peter van der Zandt, ECHA’s Risk Management Director about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS in short. These so-called ‘forever chemicals’ are a family of over 4 000 synthetic chemicals that have been and continue to be widely used by society. The problem though is that their use has resulted in worldwide en…

1
Highlights from the December 2021 Biocidal Products Committee 31:12

2+ y ago31:12

31:12

When companies apply to get their biocidal active substances approved or have their biocidal products authorised across the whole EU, individual EU member states check and evaluate the applications. Then, it is the Biocidal Products Committee that forms an opinion on the evaluation. These opinions are sent to the European Commission which takes the…

1
Most inspected products sold online do not comply with EU chemicals law 23:32

2+ y ago23:32

23:32

This episode covers an EU-wide project where national authorities inspected nearly 6 000 products sold online in the EU and EEA. The project looked at different webshops and online marketplaces and whether they followed the rules set by EU chemicals legislation. The inspections covered both professional products such as lead used for welding and co…

1
Assessing chemicals in groups: faster action on harmful chemicals 18:30

2+ y ago18:30

18:30

If you imagine chemicals as being stars in the sky, together they form a universe of substances, some closer to each other and others further apart with different properties and hazard profiles. To help map this universe and speed up the identification of chemicals that need to be regulated, ECHA currently assesses them in groups. This means that w…

1
Making tattoos and permanent make-up safer 22:25

2+ y ago22:25

22:25

Tattoos are a popular form of body art – at least 12 % of Europeans have them. In the 18-35 age group, twice as many are likely to have a tattoo. The health risks of using dirty needles to inject the inks have been under scrutiny for a long time. Now, their chemical-related concerns have also been analysed and their risks have been regulated at the…

1
Nanomaterials in EU waste streams 17:40

2+ y ago17:40

17:40

A recent study has looked at product lifecycles, waste recycling and the circular economy for nanomaterials. Its findings show that we don’t currently have a full picture of how nanomaterials in products – and consequently in waste streams – may impact our health or the environment. These knowledge gaps make it difficult to know how to recycle, tre…

1
Highlights from the October Biocidal Products Committee 30:36

3y ago30:36

30:36

When companies apply to get their biocidal active substances approved or have their biocidal products authorised across the whole EU, it is the Biocidal Products Committee that checks them and forms an opinion on the applications. The opinions are then sent to the European Commission which takes the final decision on the applications. In this episo…

1
SCIP: transparency on hazardous chemicals in products 13:26

3y ago13:26

13:26

The SCIP database aims to improve transparency on the use of substances of very high concern (SVHCs), also known as Candidate List substances, in all products on the EU market. It can help consumers to make more informed purchasing choices and waste operators to further develop the re-use of articles and the recycling of materials. It can also be s…

1
Restriction of lead in outdoor shooting: David Scallan, European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) 12:47

3+ y ago12:47

12:47

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human h…

1
Restriction of lead in outdoor shooting: Hans Steinkellner, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) 7:11

3+ y ago7:11

7:11

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human h…

1
Restriction of lead in outdoor shooting: Philip Taylor, ELEY Limited 4:47

3+ y ago4:47

4:47

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human h…

1
Restriction of lead in outdoor shooting: Ruth Cromie Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) 7:45

3+ y ago7:45

7:45

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human h…

1
Restriction of lead in outdoor shooting: Niels Kastrup, Danish Hunting Academy 7:18

3+ y ago7:18

7:18

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human h…

1
Restriction of lead in outdoor shooting: Nina Mikander, UN Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Water Birds (AEWA) 11:30

3+ y ago11:30

11:30

Lead has been used in ammunition for hunting and sports shooting and in fishing tackle for centuries. It is estimated that each year around 100 000 tonnes of lead is dispersed into the EU environment from these uses. The European Chemicals Agency has looked into the possible risks from these uses to wildlife, livestock, the environment, and human h…

1
EU checks imported products for dangerous chemicals 23:30

4y ago23:30

23:30

In 2019, inspectors and customs officers in 16 EU countries carried out a project to check around 1 400 imported products. Nearly 1 in 4 products violated EU chemical safety laws. We interviewed Maria Orphanou, an inspector from Cyprus and the Chair of the Forum Working Group, Erwin Annys, ECHA's Head of Unit for Support and Enforcement activities …

1
Restricting microplastics and PFHxS in the EU 12:16

4y ago12:16

12:16

Interview with Peter Van Der Zandt, ECHA's Director of Risk Management about the restriction proposal for perfluorohexane-1-sulphonic acid (PFHxS) and intentionally-added microplastics. The European Union is looking into restricting the use of intentionally added microplastics in products, small particles that create big problems, and PHFxS (and re…

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European Chemicals Agency Podcasts

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