Recommendations for the Government of the Hungarian Republic regarding the development of chemical safety

Having regard to the document of the World Conference on the Environment and Development Tasks for the XXI. Century (known as Agenda 21) which was adopted by the World Summit in Rio de Janeiro on the 14th of June, 1992,

having regard to the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Forum for Chemical Safety (IFCS) established for the implementation of Chapter XIX of Agenda 21,

having regard the commitments of Hungary in relation to Agenda 21 in IFCS,

The Hungarian National Profile has been prepared(4)

Having analysed the infrastructure and human resources on the basis of the National profile - including the technical and intellectual capacities of the governmental and non-governmental organisations responsible for chemical safety (industry, scientific sector, special interest groups, public interest groups) -, furthermore having analysed and evaluated the regulatory mechanism of chemical safety (legal instruments and non-legal mechanisms), as well as, the most alarming health and environmental damaging risks, the priority objectives of the global chemical safety and the international commitments of Hungary, the following recommendations are made to the Government of the Hungarian Republic by the National Co-ordinating Team on behalf of the more than 100 experts, representing more than 70 governmental and non-governmental organisations, institutions, undertaking the preparation of the National Profile and electing the National Co-ordinating Team.
 
 

1. Chemical safety should be treated as a strategic element of sustainable development

· Maintaining a balance between improving the quality of human life, satisfying human needs, and preserving and protecting natural resources, the environment, and health is of global, national and local interest.

· Chemical safety and sound management of chemicals (Agenda 21) required for the above mentioned balance should be pursued during the whole life-cycle of chemicals (transformation of natural resources into factors of production, establishment of industries, creation of workplaces, development of industry, agriculture and services, widening the scope of products and services, regional development, etc.).
 
 

2. A policy of chemical safety should be developed

The policy, strategy to be developed should be appropriate for the protection of human health and the integrity of the environment against the increasing chemical risks, characteristic to our time, simultaneously ensuring the sustainable development of industry, agriculture and the service sector.

The participation of all parties responsible for chemical safety and those suffering from the lack of it (governmental and non-governmental organisations - industry, science sector, special interest groups, public interest groups, general public) should be ensured in the process of policy formulation.
 
 

3. Development of the Chemical Safety Act is essential

In accordance with Governmental Resolution No. 2282/1996 (X. 25.), the Chemical Safety Act, reflecting the policy of chemical safety and ensuring comprehensive regulation regarding all phases of the life-cycle of chemicals, in line with the requirements of legal harmonisation with EU, the OECD recommendations and our commitments to other international organisations (IFCS, WHO, ILO, UNEP), should be formulated and published. This act is suggested to be an "umbrella act” to which the regulations (decrees) regulating the sub-tasks of the relevant ministries can be attached.

During the preparation of the National Profile it seems advisable to review the situation of the Hungarian regulation of chemicals to evaluate the experiences gained during the implementation of the regulations, their advantages and disadvantages, the availability of the conditions for the implementation, the preparedness of the relevant authorities and to examine the possibility of meeting the international and European requirements. Following the above mentioned, it is advisable to work out the concept and deemed content of the Chemical Safety Act, the conditions of implementation at the interested business organisations and supervising authorities, the effects and costs, as well as the time-table and deadline of its introduction. The next step may be the formulation of the Act within the prescribed national system. This way the final deadline of its completion may be the third quarter of the year 1998.
 
 

4. The national co-ordination of chemical safety should be ensured by the establishment of the Inter-ministerial Commission

The establishment of the Inter-ministerial Commission for Chemical Safety is essential for the co-ordination of the divided control of chemical safety, for overview of the tasks of the individual ministries, and for harmonised and effective decision drafting.

The importance of the Inter-ministerial Commission is stressed, its establishment is recommended in Agenda 21 and is included among the priorities of IFCS. All interested ministries would appoint and delegate representatives to the Inter-ministerial Commission (MW, MEPRD, MITT, MA, MTTWM, MI, M MD, ML); the president of the Inter-ministerial Commission would be appointed (as a high ranking government official) by the prime minister. The high ranking government official should be a "full time” president. The president of the Inter-ministerial Commission should represent Hungary in IFCS (Hungary is one of the elected vice presidents of IFCS).

In the event that the government accepts the present recommendations, the Inter-ministerial Commission will be responsible for elaboration of the details and for the implementation.

Note: an Inter-ministerial Commission has been working already on the initiation of the Minister of Welfare. For more effective work, however, the reorganisation and legal strengthening of the commission is essential, as it has been outlined above.
 
 

5. The information system of chemical safety must be developed

The IFCS Contact Point (at present the NIOH) should be made suitable for receiving great amounts of international information, for translation of the information into Hungarian and passing it to all interested governmental and non-governmental organisations. It should be connected to the Internet. On the other hand, the information centre should be made suitable for receiving, analysing, and evaluating domestic data, for drawing conclusions from the data and passing it on to decision makers, furthermore, for wide-scale dissemination and distribution of the necessary information to all interested parties. (The system and resources of data collection should be elaborated.)

Operational expenses of the IFCS contact point developed into an information centre shall be covered by the state budget. The information centre shall be supervised by the president of the Inter-ministerial Commission.
 
 

6. The creation of integrated, comprehensive chemical safety based on the principle of graduality (priorities) is not a one-time, finished process; strengthening of the authorities, establishment of the Chemical Safety Inspectorate

Organisation and control of chemical safety requires continuous control. Transparent and accountable administrative and supervision practices are required with uniform approach and efficiency at the sectorial, regional and local levels of the implementation of the requirements related to the protection of human health, future generations and the environment (licensing, administrative procedures, inspections, investigations, situation evaluations, etc.). (5)

For this reason, it is essential to include the requirement of the strengthening of official activity regarding chemical safety into the ideas of the transformation of administration.

For this, the activity of the already operating authorities with competence and jurisdiction in the field of chemical safety should be examined regarding the task to be fulfilled, and the human and material resources necessary for closing up in case operational resources proportional to task are available, and in case they are not.

Taking into account the experiences gathered, and the international experiences establishment of a National Chemical Safety Inspectorate should be considered for the integrated supervision of dangerous industrial activities.
 
 

7. Development of chemical safety is a task for the whole society,  co-operation of governmental and non- governmental organisations

All interested parties of the society and economy should accept the principle of necessary care for prevention, and within this, for the reduction of socially acceptable risk. This includes banning or restricting certain chemicals, replacing them with less dangerous ones, or determining limit values for their polluting concentration. It should be achieved, that these principles which do not bring short term benefit for those involved, do not fall victim to the value judgement of the market. Increased involvement of non-governmental organisations in the development and implementation of chemical safety policy should be facilitated.

Chemical safety activity of the industry should be supported (responsible care, APELL, etc.); participation of the corporate sector in implementation should be increased through support of the activities, developments, modernisation of products with direct or indirect beneficiary effects on chemical safety. The interest and sense of responsibility for chemical safety of the scientific "world” should be raised; educational and cultural institutions should participate more consciously and actively in forming public awareness, the work of special interest groups, environmental protection and public interest groups for chemical safety should be supported both professionally and financially. Conditions of continuous co-operation among administrational levels should be established, including its institutional practice in areas where it is extremely important. It is advisable to elaborate a programme for the development of partner-connections.
 
 

8. Right to chemical safety should be a basic civil right

To attain this, the importance of chemical safety should be conveyed to, and understood by students and the general public. It would be wise to incorporate chemical safety into the national educational curriculum. Effective ways of information should be found. Continuous PR activity (and not only campaigns) is needed for efficiency. The Inter-ministerial Commission (and its independent secretariat) should be a forum where all parties involved can report their problems related to the topic. Discussion of the reported problems and suggestions should be obligatory within a time limit. The outcome of the discussion and the recommended solution to the problems should be communicated to the interested parties and information should be given on the measures implemented.
 
 

9. The playing of an active role by Hungary in the development of the Central and East European (regional) chemical safety should be ensured

Hungary should be supported both organisationally and financially in helping the development of chemical safety in the CEE Region and in playing an active role in the work of the Region.

Note: Hungary is carrying out active organising work in the region as the elected vice president of IFCS and member of the IFCS Standing Committee. To make this work more efficient, financial support is needed (e.g. organisation of regional meetings).
 

10. Further programmes, tasks

· the possible contact points between the National Profile and other national, sectorial programmes should be made operational as soon as possible,

· implementation of the chapters relating to chemical safety of the ongoing national programmes (environmental protection and environmental health action programmes),

· based on the currently effective version of the Seveso directive on the prevention of major industrial accidents (catastrophes) the Hungarian legal regulation should be published too, as soon as possible.

· the separate treatment of production wastes within the hazardous wastes should be arranged very quickly, processing of information on hazardous wastes collected from enterprises should be accelerated and widened regarding accessibility (e.g. the quantities of wastes of different hazard categories originating from the chemical industry should be available for analysis),

· all activities involving amphibole type asbestos should be banned, production and use of asbestos-containing products should be further restricted, processing, demolition and treatment, neutralisation of existing asbestos-containing materials should be comprehensively regulated,

· the European Union regulation regarding the management of carcinogens should be adopted,

· the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) should be organised and operated - OECD and IFCS recommendation; the presence and distribution of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Hungary, as well as the newly recognised endocrine disruptors should be priority concerns. The problems of PRTR, POPs and endocrine disruptors require the organisation of dedicated programmes; and with these programmes we will meet international expectations.
 
 

11. Publication of the National Profile, meeting the PR activity demands of chemical safety

· the National Profile should be distributed to all competent authorities, interested economic organisations, interest groups and unions. Preferably the costs of this should be covered jointly by the interested economic organisations; participation of the Interest Reconciliation Council is advisable,

· The shortened version (Executive Summary) of the National Profile should be distributed in the form of booklet and disc/diskette,

· the National Profile should be publicised in the media according to an established programme as a continuing series embellished with interviews and round table discussions,

· the changes should be examined and registered after one year and then, after every three year.

Budapest, 15th December 1997

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Posted: 06 October 1998