Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

389 Chapter 14: Environment, Health and Wellbeing 14 www.eea.europa.eu/en/european-zero-pollution-dashboards/chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability (accessed 16 July 2024). European controls on chemicals. The EU has one of the most comprehensive chemical regulatory frameworks globally. The aim of chemical regulation at the EU level is to minimise the risks posed by the most harmful chemicals considered necessary, for example through reduction in human exposure and release to the environment, while striving to replace other harmful substances, thought to be non-essential. EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: Towards a Toxic-Free Environment. The European Green Deal is the overarching plan to transform the EU into a carbon- neutral and environmentally sustainable economy over the coming years. The Green Deal is supported by ambitious programmes such as the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS). Published in October 2020, the CSS supports the Green Deal initiative by aiming to better protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of chemicals. The strategy proposes actions needed to respond quickly and effectively to the challenges posed by harmful substances, with the aim that chemicals are produced and used in such a way that maximises their benefits to society while avoiding harm to humans and the environment. The strategy also seeks to boost innovation through the development and use of safer and more sustainable chemicals. In this regard, one of the key actions in the CSS, which has the potential to yield the greatest and longest-term effects is the ‘safe and sustainable by design’ approach. This approach emphasises the need for new chemicals and materials to be designed to be both safe and sustainable (for humans and the environment) not only at their design stage but also during their production and use and finally when they end up as waste. As an action under the CSS, the EEA and ECHA have developed an indicator framework and online dashboard 14 that aim to monitor the drivers and impacts of chemical pollution and measure the effectiveness of chemicals legislation using a set of 25 quantitative indicators complemented by 22 signals providing additional insights (EEA, 2024). The first benchmarking assessment using the indicator framework has highlighted that the use of harmful chemicals is still growing but more slowly than the chemicals market overall. Moreover, the transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals needs to be accelerated. Market surveillance. Legislation covering restrictions and limits on certain hazardous substances in products (e.g. electrical equipment) is aimed at decreasing the general levels of hazardous chemicals in consumer products, thus reducing the risks posed by chemicals to consumers and the environment. This work also aims to improve recyclability, thereby supporting circular economy ambitions. Overall, market surveillance is important to maintain the proper functioning of the EU internal market by ensuring a high level of protection for consumers and their interests, including the environment. Market surveillance is carried out by public authorities to ensure that products on the market conform to applicable laws and regulations and to health and safety requirements.