Europe begins work on 'one-stop shop' chemical data platform

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has begun work on an open platform of information on chemicals that will collate data from multiple European Union (EU) agencies and some 70 laws under one umbrella.Due to be operational within the next 3 years, the platform will include data on chemical hazards, exposure, environmental sustainability, and uses; alternatives to substances of concern; and a range of regulatory information, such as upcoming and ongoing substance assessments, scientific opinions, and legislative outcomes.It forms the core of a series of measures under the one-substance, one-assessment framework, a bundle of three laws that entered into force on Jan. 1.First proposed as part of the 2020 chemical strategy for sustainability under the EU’s European Green Deal, the framework aims to make chemical safety assessments “more consistent, transparent and efficient,” according to the European Commission, which drew up the laws.Single chemicals can undergo multiple safety assessments, initiated under various pieces of EU legislation, by different actors and at different points in time. Public authorities will use the common data platform to share and reuse information, making these assessment processes more transparent and saving authority and industry resources, the commission says.ECHA is tasked with taking the lead on implementing this ambition. It will establish and manage the data platform with help from other EU bodies, such as the European Environment Agency (EEA), European Food Safety Authority, European Medicines Agency, and European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.“By joining forces with our partner agencies and authorities, we will create a