Miljøstyrelsens Kemikalieinspektion - årsberetning 2002
11 Summary and conclusions
The Chemical Inspection Service is in charge of Danish EPA supervision of legislation regulating chemicals in Denmark: the Act on Chemical Substances and Products, statutory orders, and regulations and circulars issued under the Act.
High priority areas of the Chemical Inspection Service are:
 | control of cosmetic products and toys |
| control of substances and products subject to rules in Denmark that are different from rules in other EU Member States |
| control of substances and products imported from third countries |
| control of toxic chemical substances and products |
| compliance enforcement in areas of significance to health and the environment |
| national and international inspection collaboration |
The Danish EPA found it necessary to issue a press release in four cases, warning against illegal products that present a danger to consumers because of their chemical properties. These press releases are available in Danish on the Danish EPA homepage www.mst.dk
Supervision and enforcement of chemicals regulation are core objectives of the Chemical Inspection Service. In 2002 the Inspection Service launched eight campaigns focussing on pesticides, toys, cosmetics, certain restrictions on use, and classification and labelling of a number of chemical products.
In connection with some of the campaigns publications were issued – see Annex B "Oversigt over publikationer" (Survey of publications).
Enforcement reports from competing enterprises, consumer organisations and private persons were considered in the Chemical Inspection Service. In 2002 the Service received 102 reports (far less than the 169 reports received in 2001). The reports focussed on cosmetics, classification and labelling, pesticides and on other subjects, with almost the same number of reports on each of these subjects.
In 35 cases the Chemical Inspection Service found – after thorough examination of the products – that the chemicals rules had not been violated. A total of 14 reports were handed over to public prosecution.
Each year the Chemical Inspection Service initiates inspection cases on their own initiative. In 2002, the Service took up 49 cases for inspection, some because of matters identified as illegal on the basis of the Danish EPA reports on chemicals in consumer products.
In 2002, 33 criminal cases of infringement of chemicals regulations were concluded. 26 cases resulted in fines. The level of fines ranged between DKK 800-75,000 or EURO 107 - 10,107. The largest fine was imposed due to illegal import of pesticides.
On September 9-11, the Danish EPA hosted the 2002 meeting of the CLEEN (Chemical Legislation European Enforcement Network). The Network aims at strengthening cooperation among European chemical inspection services, thus improving the knowledge and understanding of and compliance with the chemicals regulation, and at making sure that manufacturers and importers operate under equal conditions in all countries. Another purpose is to invite future Member States, and to assist them in joining the Network.
The meeting included representatives of 14 Member States, Norway, Slovenia, the Czeck Republic, Slovakia, and the EU Commission.
At the meeting the role of CLEEN in a new chemicals regulation approach was discussed. Another item on the agenda was the input from CLEEN to the Commission in relation to problems in the enforcement of current regulation. The meeting completed the projects on illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances, and leakages in installations with ozone-depleting substances.
The chemical inspection services in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark join together in the formal group "Nordic Inspection Group" under the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Nordic Chemical Group. The group works to set up and maintain a network of inspection service staff, to contribute jointly to selected inspection areas, and to coordinate the Nordic efforts at EU/EES level.
Finland hosted a Nordic meeting in Helsinki on June 13-14 2002. At the meeting the countries’ inspection work was presented and discussed, enforcement under future EU regulation was debated, the results of the first Nordic inspection report "Kontrol med CMR-stoffer I forbrugerprodukter" (CMR substances in consumer products) was presented, and, finally, a decision was taken to launch a common Nordic inspection project in 2002, focussing on classification and labelling of textile detergents.
The report is available on the Nordic Council homepage: www.norden.org/miljoe/sk/CMRrapport2002.pdf