Its objectives are to assist Member countries in:

• Promoting sound management of chemicals world-wide;
• Identifying, preventing and reducing risks of chemicals;
• Preventing unnecessary barriers to trade;
• Optimising the use of national resources for chemicals management;
• Integrating economic and chemical safety policies.

Major products of the Programme are: Test Guidelines, Good Laboratory Practice, the system of Mutual Acceptance of Data, hazard/risk assessment methods, harmonized classification endpoints, efficiencies in new chemicals notifications, initial assessment reports on High Production Volume chemicals and information exchange networks on risk reducution. The Chemicals Programme is part of OECD's Environmental Health and Safety Programme which also includes work on pesticides, chemical accidents, harmonization of regulatory oversight in biotechnology, PRTRs and food safety.

Contact information

Mr Bob Diderich
Head of Division
Environment, Health and Safety
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
2, rue André-Pascal
F-75775 Paris Cedex 16
France

Email: Bob.DIDERICH@oecd.org

• OECD website