Workshop on a pragmatic approach to address the risk from combined exposure to non-intentional mixtures of chemicals – REACH as an example
Workshop venue:
Golden Tulip & Tulip Inn Leiden Centre
Schipholweg 3
2316 XB Leiden, the Netherlands
Day 1 – Open session
Aim: to understand the forcefield in which to design the eventual approach to address the risk from combined exposure to chemicals. Set-up should facilitate discussion and exchange of views and knowledge:
- How do you think the proposed approach in the workshop paper may work?
- What pro’s and con’s do you see? What are practical limitations? What are important challenges to address?
- What alternative methods could you think of to address the observation that the overall risk from combined exposure is higher than has been concluded acceptable for single substances?
Outcome:
- Insight in the basic support for the proposal
- Overview of main advantages and challenges to overcome
- Concrete suggestions how to come to a feasible approach
- Overview of possible alternatives to explore
Moderator: Prof. Dr. T.H.M Sijm (Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority)
Program:
10:30 – 12:00 Registration and lunch
12:00 – 12:10 Welcome and introduction Judith Elsinghorst (Director NL Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, The Netherlands)
12:10 – 12:40 Scoping our day’s discussions(externe link) Dr. Fleur A. van Broekhuizen (RIVM – Bureau REACH, The Netherlands)
12:40 – 13:40 Part I. Setting the scene: What do we know and how can we proceed?
- 12:40 – 12:55 Horizon scanning: (externe link)Where do we stand today and what will happen in the years ahead?(externe link) (Urban Boije af Gennäs, DG ENV, EU COM)
- Scientific underpinning of a pragmatic regulatory approach: Taking the helicopter view…what trends can be deduced from available scientific works?
- 12:55 – 13:10 First systematic studies on possible effects of non-intentional mixtures on human health(externe link) (Prof. Dr. Carl-Gustaf Bornehag, Karlstad University, Sweden)
- 13:10 – 13:25 Profiling chemical cocktails and the possible effects of non-intentional mixtures on the environment(externe link) (Prof. Dr. Thomas Backhaus, University of Gothenburg, Sweden)
- 13:25 – 13:40 Overview of scientific advances on non-intentional mixtures(externe link) (Ir. Jacob van Klaveren, RIVM, The Netherlands, on behalf of Stephanie Bopp, Joint Research Centre. Italy)
13:40 – 14:00 – BREAK (20 min)
14:00 – 14.10 Continued: Summary on how the above leads to suggest an intermediate approach applying a risk-cup philosophy to the exposure and risk assessment of all chemicals or a sub-set of chemicals under REACH.
- 14:10 – 14:30 A possible approach to safe-guarding risks of non-intentional mixtures – A view from Cefic(externe link) (Steven Van de Broeck) to reflect on possibilities to address risks of non-intentional mixtures under the currently available legislative system, with REACH as a case.
- 14:30 – 14:50 A possible approach to safe-guarding risks of non-intentional mixtures – A view from ChemTrust (externe link)(Dr. Ninja Reineke) to reflect on possibilities to address risks of non-intentional mixtures under the currently available legislative system, with REACH as a case.
- 14:50 – 15:10 A possible approach to safe-guarding risks of non-intentional mixtures – (externe link)A view from ECHA(externe link) (Dr. Jack de Bruijn) to reflect on possibilities to address risks of non-intentional mixtures under the currently available legislative system, with REACH as a case.
15:10 – 15:30 BREAK (20 min, refreshments)
15:30 – 18:00 Part II. Identification of issues and possible solutions
- Summary of the key issues, possible approaches and concerns and possibilities as deduced from the reflections by Cefic, ChemTrust and ECHA Clarifying key challenges and possible alternative approaches.
- Finding the ideal solution - Finding an ideal solution Discussion on key challenges and possible alternative approaches.
18:00 – 18:30 End of Day 1 Wrap-up and concluding remarks, including an outlook into the future
19:30 – Social Dinner
Day 2 – Closed session
Aim: to develop a concrete strategy on how to proceed development and implementation of a pragmatic approach to address the risk from combined exposure to non-intentional mixtures of chemicals:
- Implications of Day-1’s outcomes
- How to address the main challenges
- Actions on possible alternative approaches
- REACH and other legislations
- Step-by-step design of the route to implementation of the eventual approach
Outcome:
- Chair´s conclusions
- Elements of a strategy to implement a practical approach to combined exposure
- Allocated actions
Moderator: Prof. Dr. T.H.M Sijm (Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority)
Program:
08:30 – 08:45 Start of the day
08:45 – 09:45 Evaluating and prioritizing Day 1s’ issues and possible actions:
- Overview of the different challenges brought forward at day 1
- What should be addressed?
- Possible need to put priorities?
09:45 – 10:45 World Café: Further defining and detailing possible actions. How do these fit into the overall chemical work at national/EU level?
- What is still needed to tackle the different challenges brought forward at day 1?
- How do we get there?
- Who is going to do what?
10:45 – 11:20 Presentation of and discussion on the outcomes from the World Café
11:20 – 11:40 BREAK (refreshments)
11:40 – 12:40 Strategy and recommendations on priorities
- Targets, Timelines and Coordinators
- Workshop 2
12.40 - 13.00 Summary and conclusions
13:00 - 14:00 LUNCH – End of workshop –