Helsinki Chemicals Forum addresses burning topics of international chemicals regulation

The event opens on Wednesday June 8^th with the Green Economy Business Summit. The Summit, organised now for the first time, discusses the green economy from the business perspective, focusing on how to ensure a reasonable economic growth while reducing its environmental burden. The keynote speeches of the Summit are given by Mr. Jyrki Katainen, President of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra and Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.

The conference continues with top-of-the-line keynote speeches by Kristin Schreiber, Director of the European Commission, DG Growth, and Peter van der Zandt, Director of Risk Management at ECHA, followed by five topical panel discussions that bring together all the key players in the field.

“Gates of Green Economy Business Summit on 8^th of June are open for all registered Forum visitors. Summit is organised for the first time in collaboration with forest and chemical industries.” Says Business Manager Marcus Bergström.

Five topical panel discussions

• Panel 1: Accelerating chemicals regulation moderated by Chemical Watch
  The European Union is in the process of revising many of its chemical’s regulations as part of its chemicals strategy for sustainability. The panel will discuss, among other things, what tools will become available in the EU to speed up regulatory decisions, and how to ensure faster regulatory action while promoting green innovation in essential sectors and products.
  
  
• Panel 2: Defining & stimulating safe and sustainable by design substances moderated by European Commission
  The European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability combines the vision of a toxic-free environment with increasing the competitiveness of European industry, which could be done by taking the lead in the production and use of safe and sustainable chemicals and materials. The panel will discuss the “safe and sustainable-by-design” criteria, metrics, and performance indicators. It also focuses on the innovation process, regulatory action, and the role of the EU institutions.
  
  
• Panel 3: Can chemicals risk management be integrated with circularity and climate policy objectives moderated by CEFIC
  EU’s Green Deal policy goals may affect how risk-based chemicals management is designed and implemented.The Green Deal policy objectives – Chemicals safety, Circularity and Climate – differ in their approaches to the extent that the policies may compete or even negatively impact one another. Thus, when assessing a chemical risk, it is important to also assess the impact on climate and circularity objectives to prevent a “regrettable risk management action” or “regrettable substitution”. The panel discusses the holistic evaluation process, data that is needed to make informed 3C decisions as well as the roles of the industry, other stakeholders, and authorities herein.
  
  
• Panel 4: How to accelerate the replacement of animal toxicity testing moderated by OECD
  This panel focuses on limiting or eliminating the animal toxicity testing in different chemicals legislation. New approach methods that leverage advances in biotechnology have produced a variety of non-animal test protocols that can also increase the rate at which chemical safety is evaluated. The panel discusses the criteria of determining the readiness of alternative test methods for regulatory use; how to stimulate their use by decision makers; how can these approaches be applied across the different chemical regulations; by when can the most complex human health animal tests be replaced; what are the obstacles to harmonizing these approaches globally?
  
  
• Panel 5: A science policy interface for the sound management of chemicals and waste moderated by UNEP
  The science-policy interface to support and promote science-based action on the sound management of chemicals and waste throughout their life cycle needs to be urgently strengthened. This panel will seek to engage in a dialogue among representatives from industry, government, academia, and civil society on the role that a dedicated science-policy interface should play in accelerating the outcomes of a new framework for chemicals and waste management globally. What would be the most beneficial outcomes of such development? What will be the role of different stakeholders? What are the necessary safeguards to ensure credible, authoritative, and relevant policy direction?

This year, the Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre is full of synergies and interdisciplinary discussions during the Helsinki Chemicals Forum, as the event will be accompanied by the chemistry and biotechnology professionals’ ChemBio Finland exhibition and PulPaper, the leading international event for the forest industry. Live participants will get a tour through these expositions and be able to network with exhibitors and conference participants.

HCF 2022 conference is organised by the non-profit Chemicals Forum Association in co-operation with a high number of Finnish and international partners.  The organisation is also open to sponsors. To learn more, go to http://www.helsinkicf.eu   

Twitter: @ChemicalsForum  I LinkedIn 

Helsinki Chemicals Forum:  

Geert Dancet, Secretary General, geert.dancet@messukeskus.com  

Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre: Anu-Eveliina Mattila, Communications Manager, tel.: +358 50 555 6183, anu-eveliina.mattila@messukeskus.com  

Photos and logo of the event for free use: