Miljøstyrelsens Kemikalieinspektionårsberetning 1999

7. Summary and conclusions

The Danish EPA Chemical Inspection Service supervises compliance with the Chemical Substances Act and 35 ministerial orders etc. issued in pursuance of the Act, and with five orders on chemical substances and products which are issued in accordance with other legislative texts.

The inspection tasks cover:

1. Supervision (toxic substances, campaigns, review of enforcement reports, review of notifications from other EU Member States).
2. Administrative control (permits to sell toxins, review of notifications of cosmetics, certification of export, reporting to the EU on pesticides control)
3. Information and guidelines (Chemicals Call Service, other information activities).

In 1999 the Chemical Inspection carried out campaigns relating to pesticides, restrictions on the use of specific chemical substances, cosmetics, toys, and the EU regulation on existing substances.

Enforcement of chemicals legislation was described in 221 reports in 1999. As in previous years attention was mainly on products intended for consumers in general, and on cosmetic products in particular. Almost 40% of all reports in 1999 were about cosmetic products.

Review of 182 enforcement reports was completed. Fifteen cases were handed over to the prosecution, nine of which were about cosmetics.

In 1999 the Chemicals Call Service, which was introduced in 1998 to answer questions from the general public about chemicals, answered 1943 phone calls (2022 in 1998). Approx. one fourth was about cosmetic products.

The folder "What does the law say about chemical substances and products" was published in 1999, giving an overall view of Danish legislation relating to manufacture and marketing of chemical substances.

In 1999 cooperation between the Chemical Inspection Service and the EU continued, targeted towards new substances (substances which have not been marketed in the EU) and enforcement of the EU regulation on existing substances (EUREX).

In November 1999 the Chemical Inspection Service hosted a meeting in Copenhagen, with chemical inspection authorities in Norway, Sweden and Finland. This group has since then joined work in the Nordic Chemicals Group. In the future, annual meetings will take place, hosted in turns by the Nordic countries, including Iceland, and aiming at combining work in selected inspection areas.