Russia amongst countries to adopt new chemical safety regulation
These three countries still have to agree on many details before the adopted technical regulation can be implemented.
Outstanding issues include the procedure to establish and maintain the register, the way to notify new substances, registration deadlines, type of documents to be submitted, rules on confidential business information (CBI) and rights to use the data submitted.
The technical regulation was adopted after years of delays and disagreements between the three countries, which had brought Russia close to developing its own chemical safety legislation.
Legislation guidelines
The regulation lists the general provisions for the management of chemicals in these three countries, such as industry's obligation to register their substances, classify them and provide precautionary labels in accordance with the UN Globally Harmonized System (GHS).
It also requires manufacturers to notify new substances prior to marketing them, by providing information from testing as well as guidance on how to handle the substances safely.
The latter is expected to be done through the Russian Safety Passport (RSP), the equivalent of the EU safety data sheet which is currently used on a voluntary in Russia but will become mandatory once the technical regulation enters into force.
It will be based initially on existing databases in Russia, such as the register of all RSPs, which totalled about 33,000 entries in March.
Once manufacturers start registering their existing substances or notify new ones, the register will be enriched with the data they submit. Registrants will be asked to give information on substance identification, uses, safe handling and transportation, physical and chemical properties and human health and environmental impacts.
