Introduction
There is a need to find better and more efficient ways to promote and support substitution for targeted hazardous chemicals, in particular for complex cases. A revised substitution framework should promote a faster transition towards improved health and environmental protections, facilitate cooperation and innovation between actors across complex value chains, and allow for enhanced investment and planning to secure the competitiveness of EU industry.
The European Commission is hosting a workshop in co-operation with a group of contractors led by the Logika Group in the context of the study Strengthening the role of substitution planning in the context of REACH and other EU chemicals legislation. The purpose of the workshop will be to understand and discuss challenges with the current system, validate and refine the objectives of the revised framework, exchange existing experiences with analysis of alternatives and substitution plans in the EU and worldwide, and gather input on opportunities to promote and implement substitution planning. A link to the study terms of reference is available here.
The workshop discussions and outcomes will be used for the development of options to be analysed and discussed during the later stages of the development of the study. The draft results of the study will be discussed at a second workshop in Q3 2024.
The background document for the workshop can be accessed in this link; we invite all participants to read the document ahead of the workshop. Workshop minutes will be prepared afterwards documenting the discussions.
Date and Format:
The workshop will be held on the 1st of March 2024, for a full day (tentative timings, which will be confirmed with participants are between 09.00 and 18.00 CET). The meeting will be held at European Commission premisses in central Brussels.
The workshop will start and conclude with two plenary sessions. The plenary sessions will be hybrid, with in person presence in the conference room and made available via web streaming (no limits in terms of on-line attendance). The plenary room has a capacity of up to 160 attendants. The sessions in between the plenary will be world café table group discussions. We expect to have four in-person groups and four virtual groups (via MS Teams or a similar platform). There will be up to 80 places available for the world café tables (of which 40 in presence and 40 online). These discussions will not be web streamed.
Expression of interest
The final deadline to submit expressions of interest was 1st February 2024, and registration for the workshop is now closed. There will be further opportunities to provide input via additional consultation activities later on in the study.
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