Legislation that regulates the handling of chemicals in schools within the EU.
General Principles of EU Chemical Law
There are multiple EU laws that are applicable to chemical risks. The general principles for EU chemical law include:
- Prevention principle
It is better to prevent than to repair. - Precautionary principle
Authorities must take appropriate measures to prevent specific potential risks to public health, safety and the environment. These interests precede economic interests. - Polluter pays principle
The one who causes pollution to the environment is responsible for paying for the damage.
Different Types of EU Legislation Relevant to Chemicals in Schools
EU Regulations
EU regulations are binding legislative acts for all member states and are directly applicable in all European Union countries. There are two regulations of particular importance for chemical safety which also applies to countries within the EEA (European Economic Area):
- The Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation (CLP) regulates how chemicals are classified regarding hazard, and how these hazard and the corresponding information about safe use and disposal is communicated. All hazardous chemical products sold in the EU, must be labelled and packaged in accordance with the CLP-requirements.
- The Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals Regulation (REACH) regulates the use of chemicals, including by requiring industry to generate hazard and risk information and by restricting the use of certain chemicals due to their health or environmental hazards. As a professional user, you are required to read and comply with the information in the safety data sheet for all chemical products you use.
EU Directives
EU directives are adopted at the EU level and incorporated into national law by the EU and EEA countries, thereby becoming national or regional laws. The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and the Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive (CMD) are examples of such EU directives.
Additional National Laws
Both EU Regulations and EU Directives are binding legal acts. However, member states may implement national legislation that is more restrictive than EU Directives.