Brazil is expected to have a proposal for legislation specific to the industrial chemicals. Discussions for chemicals policy take place in the National Chemical Safety Commission (CONASQ) and involve the federal government, industry and civil society.
During the 14th meeting of the Working Group on Regulation of Chemical Substances in CONASQ, the group developed the draft law and established the rules and guidelines for identification and control of hazardous chemicals.
According to Alberto Rocha, the Chemical Substances Manager of the Department of Water Resources and Urban Environment, the government has a clear goal: to establish control over the chemicals for industrial use, identifying hazardous chemicals. Brazil still does not have a legislation that allows this control. In addition, the law should determine the application of the GHS, an internationally harmonized system for the classification and labeling of chemicals.
During the 4th International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM), the MMA held a parallel event, in partnership with experts from Sweden and Serbia, to discuss the major challenges faced by developing countries for the consolidation of national laws on controlling hazardous substances. The representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) have attended the event.
The CONASQ is a mechanism of coordination and intersectional articulation to discuss and develop integrated actions for the management of chemicals in Brazil, in close harmony with the objectives of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), of which Brazil is a signatory.
Source: MMA