Existing Substances

Existing substances are chemical substances that are listed in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Substances (EINECS). The inventory is composed of 100,195 substances, which were regarded as being on the market in the European Community between January 1st 1971 and 18th September 1981.

Based on the Council Regulation (EEC) 793/93, data was collected from companies on all EINECS substances imported or manufactured in quantities of 10 tonnes or more. The data was submitted in electronic format to the European Chemicals Bureau to be made part of the International Uniform ChemicaL Database (IUCLID). The IUCLID database was used as one of the tools when prioritising these substances based on the potential risk that they pose. Since 1994, four priority lists have been published; the lists contain a total of 140 substances that will be assessed for risks to the environment, workers, consumers and man exposed via the environment. Member states prepare the risk assessment drafts in line with the principles laid down in the Commission Regulation 1488/94 (EC) and following the detailed risk assessment methodology of the Technical Guidance Document. The risk assessment will conclude with one or more of the following conclusions:

i. There is a need for further information and/or testing.

ii. There is at present no need for further information and/or testing and no need for risk reduction measures beyond those which are being applied already.

iii. There is a need for limiting risks; risk reduction measures which are being applied shall be taken into account.

If the conclusion of the risk assessment for any particular risk is the conclusion iii, then a risk reduction strategy will be prepared. The strategy is done following the guidance in the Technical Guidance Document on Risk Reduction. Possible outcome of the strategy can be, e.g., technical recommendations on how to better protect the environment or the man, workers or consumers, from the exposure to the substance. As an extreme measure of restricting the risks posed by a dangerous substance, market restrictions based on the Directive 76/769/EEC can be applied.

In Finland, the competent authorities are the National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health (STTV) and the Finnish Environment Institute (FEI). For each priority substance, the Ministry of Environment appoints either STTV or FEI to act as the lead rapporteur, but each report is prepared in close co-operation between the competent authorities, together with expert institutes, such as the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH). STTV is responsible for the preparation of the risk assessment parts that concern the physico-chemical properties of the substance or risks posed by the substance to human health, whereas the Finnish Environment Institute assesses the risks to the environment.

Contact persons:

Kirsi Sihvonen

name.surname@sttv.fi

puh: 3967 2776

Marko Kuittinen

name.surname@sttv.fi

puh: 3967 2764

10.12.2003