Overview
Steptoe Brussels partners Ruxandra Cana and Jim Searles were quoted in a Bloomberg BNA article titled “Companies in Europe Advised to Monitor ECHA Substance Evaluation Appeals.” * The article, published March 9, discusses Steptoe’s webinar on “Litigation Under EU Chemicals Legislation - ECHA Board of Appeal: Essential Reading for In-House Counsel.”
Mr. Searles draws attention to the fact that the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) requests under REACH for more substance information could be “complex and potentially costly,” which is why the role of the Board of Appeal (BoA) decisions is to make sure ECHA’s requests are valid.
Ms. Cana explains that although REACH substance evaluation appeals are a new area, ECHA’s BoA has established a good reputation. “We can testify to their complete independence from the other services of ECHA,” she says.
Bloomberg BNA also quoted Ms. Cana in a March 9 article titled “Study Says Endocrine Disruptors, Illnesses Cost Billions; Basis of claims Questioned.” ** Referring to Ms. Cana’s keynote presentation on endocrine disruptors at Global Chem, a global chemical regulatory conference, the article discusses EU regulation on endocrine disruptors.
Ms. Cana explains: “If the commission proceeds to regulate chemicals as endocrine disruptors – in the absence of a legally certain and legally binding definition of that term – the regulation would be discretionary and out of line with the European Union’s principle of legal certainty. Such regulations should be challenged before EU courts or ECHA’s Board of Appeal.”
* Reproduced with permission from Chemical Regulation Reporter Current Reports, 39 CRR 264 (Mar. 9, 2015). Copyright 2015 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com.
** Reproduced with permission from Daily Environment Report, 45 DEN A-14 (Mar. 9, 2015). Copyright 2015 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com.
