Strategy for Chemical Safety for the interdepartmental implementation of the chemicals legislation.

The Strategy for Chemical Safety is a national sectoral strategy of Switzerland for the period 2017-2020. It aims to obtain that, during their entire life cycle, chemicals have no harmful effects on the environment and the human health. If an impact in the environment is planned, the chemicals are to be used such that (as far as possible) no harmful side effects occur.
The strategic objectives substantiate the vision above and demonstrate what the involved federal agencies want to achieve in regard to chemical safety in the period up to 2020. They represent a yardstick for measuring the success of the federal agencies’ activities.
1. No data - no market: Manufacturers dispose of the required data for all chemicals that are intended to be placed on the market in order to assess the risks to the environment and to human health, and in order to be able to provide information required for safe use. 2. Risk assessment and risk reduction: Chemicals may be marketed only if the assessment demonstrates that no unacceptable risks to human health and the environment result from the intended use. If necessary, the competent authorities shall take measures to reduce the risks arising from a chemical. 3. Substitution: Chemicals with risks to health or the environment shall be replaced by lower-risk alternatives. 4. Sustainable chemistry. The fundamental principles of sustainable chemistry are respected in the manufacture, use and waste management of products as well as in the development of new processes and products. 5. State of knowledge: Tests for the properties of chemicals and the assessment of their risks to health and to the environment are based on scientifically sound methods and strategies, which also refer to the 3R Principles. Switzerland plays an active role internationally in order to further develop the relevant state of knowledge and continually adapts its chemicals legislation to it. 6. International standards: The international standards for the careful handling of chemicals are developed by participating in inter alia the United Nations Environmental Programme (NEP), in the WHO, the FAO, the ILO and the OECD. This enables Switzerland’s needs as a business location to be taken into account. Switzerland is committed to these standards and is an advocate for their worldwide implementation, also in regard to the sustainability objectives 2030 defined by the United Nations. 7. Professional expertise and information of the controllers: Anyone who manages chemicals a. has the knowledge that ensures safe handling, b. is aware of the responsibility for safe handling and c. receives the information required for this. 8. Appropriate and efficient enforcement. The competent authorities guarantee a proper and efficient enforcement of the chemicals legislation and encourage manufacturers, importers, traders and users to fulfill their obligations when handling chemicals.
Strategic measures are set out in te text by the involved federal authorities in order to achieve the set strategic objectives in the medium term.
A regular report on the implementation of the chemicals legislation must be submitted to the Federal Council. These reports shall also take into account the status of achievement of the objectives. The chemicals and PPP steering committee is responsible for the implementation of the Chemical Safety Strategy. When implementing the measures other federal strategies have to be taken into ac count. Any conflict of objectives has to be solved by balancing of interests. The strategic objectives are made operational with target values, and indicators are assigned to each target value. This enables the achievement of the intended medium-term objectives to be measurable and verifiable.