Mandate: - Decision of the Council concerning a Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals [C(78)127(Final)]
- This mandate was extended by the Council at its 535th, 598th, 606th, 665th, 736th, 799th, 872nd, 948th,1027th, 1107th and 1172nd meetings [C(2008)48 & CORR1 and C/M(2008)8, item 102]
- The mandate was renewed by the Council at its 1267th meeting [C(2012)52/REV1 and C/M(2012)13, item 186]
- Name changed from "Management Committee of the Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals" 23 July 1998 [C/M(98)17, item 208 f) and C(98)145/ANN]
- The Chemicals Committee meets together with the Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology
Extract from the Decision of the Council [C(2012)52/REV1]
‘THE COUNCIL,
Having regard to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14 December 1960;
Having regard to the Rules of Procedure of the Organisation;
Having regard to the Financial Regulations of the Organisation;
Having regard to the Resolution of the Council on Partnerships in OECD Bodies [C(2012)100/FINAL];
Having regard to the Decision of the Council of 16 October 1978 concerning a Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals [C(78)127(Final)] as last renewed by Council on 30 April 2008 [C(2008)48 and CORR1 and C/M(2008)8, Item 102] and of its Decision of 23 July 1998 to change the name of the “Management Committee of the Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals” to the “Chemicals Committee” [C/M(98)17, Item 208 f)];
Having regard to the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding, concerning the Establishment of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) between the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which was expanded to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) [C(2008)81];
Having regard to the Council Decision concerning the Adherence of non-Member Countries to the Council Acts related to the Mutual Acceptance of Data in the Assessment of Chemicals [C(81)30(Final) C(89)87(Final)] [C(97)114/FINAL] and having regard to the Global Relations Strategy for the Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Committee and the Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology [ENV/JM(2011)8/FINAL];
Having regard to the Resolution of the Council on Implementation of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) [C(2008)32];
Having regard to the recommendations of the In-depth Evaluation of the Chemicals Committee [C(2012)4];
Having regard to the Council Resolution revising the Mandate of the Environment Policy Committee [C(2009)47 and CORR1 and C/M(2009)9, Item 111];
Having regard to the proposed revision of the mandate of the Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals [C(2012)52/REV1];
DECIDES:
A. The Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals (hereinafter “the Programme”) is renewed with the following revised mandate:
Mission
1. Within the framework of the chemicals’ activities of the Organisation, the Programme provides a forum for co-operation between those Members wishing jointly to carry out work to develop and harmonise practices in order to improve the management of chemicals. The purpose of the Programme is to contribute to green growth and sustainable development by protecting human health and the environment from the risks of chemicals, preventing the creation of non-tariff barriers to trade, saving costs to Members and industry, and promoting harmonisation among Members and non-Members of their chemicals management systems.
2. The objectives of the Programme shall be to:
• protect human health and the environment by assisting Members to anticipate, identify and prevent or manage the risks of chemicals, especially through the development and implementation by Members of efficient, effective and innovative instruments for testing, assessment and management of chemicals;
• assist in avoiding unnecessary non-tariff distortions in the trade of chemicals;
• ensure efficiencies and optimal use of resources for governments and industry through harmonisation of policies and instruments and by creating mechanisms for sharing work in areas of mutual interest;
• promote effective and efficient chemical safety policies throughout a globalising world by facilitating co-operation between Members and specific non-Members, especially those which are full adherents to the Council Decisions related to the Mutual Acceptance of Data in the Assessment of Chemicals;
• ensure coherence, consistency and efficiency in chemical safety policies by providing a forum for obtaining input from all stakeholders and working with selected non-Members;
• assist Members in their efforts to implement the UN Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), making implementation of the SAICM objectives, as set out in the Overarching Policy Strategy, an integral part of its Programme, including, as appropriate, those specific elements of the SAICM Global Plan of Action as well as those emerging issues identified by the International Conference on Chemicals Management in which OECD has a major role; and
• assist non-Members in the SAICM context in establishing chemicals management systems which are compatible with those of OECD countries by making the outputs of the Programme as accessible, relevant and useful as possible to non-Members and other interested stakeholders, distributing them widely and free of charge, assisting governments and promoting the public’s right to know about the hazards, exposures and potential risks of chemicals.
Participation
3. Participation in the Programme is open to all OECD Members and the European Commission.
4. Participation of non-Members in the Programme will be considered by the Chemicals Committee and may be recommended by the Committee to the Council.
The Chemicals Committee
5. The Chemicals Committee shall oversee the Programme and be, in particular, responsible for:
• developing and approving its draft programme of work and budget (within its medium-term strategy as developed in its four-year work programmes);
• monitoring the quality and timeliness of output results, activities and projects, and the synergies among them and with those carried out in conjunction with the Environment Policy Committee related to the safety of chemicals, chemical products and products of modern biotechnology and to the release of chemicals to the environment;
• maintaining close working relationships with other bodies of the Organisation working on issues that affect the development and implementation of chemicals management policies and co-ordinating with them as appropriate, as well as with other relevant parties outside the Organisation;
• disseminating its policy advice and analysis, research and data to a wide range of stakeholders in Members and non-Members; and
• evaluating the outcomes of the Programme’s work.
6. The Chemicals Committee meets jointly with the Environment Policy Committee’s Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology. This meeting is referred to as the Joint Meeting of the Chemicals Committee and Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology (the “Joint Meeting”).
7. Governments should, whenever possible, appoint to the Joint Meeting senior officials with direct responsibility for advising their governments on chemicals management policy and the allocation of resources in this area.
8. Non-Member full adherents to the Council Decisions related to the Mutual Acceptance of Data in the Assessment of Chemicals (“MAD”) participate as full members in the part of the Joint Meeting involving the mutual acceptance of data, in accordance with C(97)114/FINAL.
9. BIAC, TUAC, environmental NGOs and intergovernmental organisations which are a party to the Memorandum of Understanding concerning the Establishment of the Inter-Organization Programme for the Sound Management of Chemicals (IOMC) attend meetings of the Joint Meeting as experts or observers.
Budget of the Programme
10. The expenditure of the Programme shall be charged against the appropriations authorised for it under Part II of the Budget of the Organisation.
11. In order to secure stable funding for the Programme and smooth the payment of assessed contributions by participating countries over successive years, appropriations for which no commitment has been entered into before the end of the Financial Year for which they were appropriated as well as any surplus income shall be automatically carried forward to the budget for the ensuing year by decision of the Secretary-General, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 10 of the Financial Regulations of the Organisation.
Co-ordination of the OECD's Work on Chemicals
12. The Chemicals Committee will develop its medium-term strategy for work in the field of chemicals assessment and management, foster coherence with the overall programme of work of the Environment Policy Committee’s Working Party on Chemicals, Pesticides and Biotechnology and evaluate this work at the strategic level.
13. For work delegated to its subsidiary bodies, the Chemicals Committee shall ensure clarity of mandates, provide guidance on priorities and establish integrated oversight and evaluation mechanisms. It shall receive regular reports from subsidiary bodies to ensure their co-ordination, policy integration, timeliness and evaluation.
Duration
B. This mandate shall remain in force until 31 December 2016.’
Extract from Summary Record [C/M(2012)13, item 186]
“THE COUNCIL,
a) noted document C(2012)52/REV1;
b) adopted the draft Resolution of the Council revising the mandate of the Special Programme on the Control of Chemicals, including that of the Chemicals Committee, as set out in Annex I to document C(2012)52/REV1, which will enter into force on 1 January 2013.”