A Strong Framework for EU-US Regulatory Cooperation

Regulations for chemical safety vary from one country to another, which can create burdens when materials are shipped internationally. The products may need to be relabeled or even repackaged to comply with regulations at their destination.  Laboratory tests may be repeated as regulatory agencies may not exchange information adequately between countries. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is a proposed trade agreement between the European Union and the United States.  When the TTIP goes into effect, some of these duplicated efforts may be reduced, if the US and the EU agree to include chemical regulations in the agreement. According to Cefic, the EU’s chemical industry trade council, regulatory cooperation for chemicals under TTIP would save time, work and money for both companies and consumers.  Cefic points to pre-existing international standards for labeling, as well as an intention of cooperation between US EPA and the EU’s ECHA (European Chemicals Agency).  To read more about it.

read the full article on euractiv.com.