Chemicals

National Chemicals Programme

The aim of the National Chemicals Programme (2022–2035) is to create an environment where chemicals cause no harm to human health or do not weaken the good environmental status. The Programme covers the harm caused by chemicals to individual consumers, public health, employees’ health and the environment during their whole life cycle.

The Chemicals Programme sets down the key measures that the different administrative branches commit to implement.

The themes of the Chemicals Programme are

1. Protection of health and the environment from harmful chemicals

Chemicals are present in almost all materials and products. The objectives of the programme include:

• ensuring adequate information on exposure to harmful chemicals so that the risks of chemicals can be assessed and controlled.
• promoting research on the effects of combined exposure to multiple chemicals and developing risk assessment and management methods for chemicals. The Programme includes a commitment to developing a set of “environmental burden” indicators for measuring the total environmental harm caused by chemicals.

2. Safe circular economy and sustainable chemistry

The circulation of harmful chemicals in products and materials is one of the challenges faced by a circular economy. The objectives include:

• a circular economy that is safe with respect to chemicals from product design to the production and use of recycled materials. The Programme also includes a commitment to more efficient assessment of the whole life cycle of chemicals and ensuring the transfer and preservation of data on chemicals in the supply chains and products. The criteria for public procurement and procurement competence should be improved as well.
• developing business based on a circular economy and increasing innovations that aim for sustainable and safe chemistry.

3. Knowledge-based decision-making

The objectives include:

• stronger interaction between science, authorities, business life and policy-making that improves the knowledge base in support of decision-making. A new National Chemicals Forum will be established to promote this.

4. EU and international cooperation to improve chemical safety

A high standard of chemical safety and, through this, environmental and health protection requires cooperation, both within Europe and globally. The objectives include:

• identifying, anticipating and prioritising the actions that are the most important for Finland and allocating resources to promote these.
• working actively to improve chemical safety outside Finland as well.

5. Communication and education promote better chemical safety

Communication on chemicals improves chemical safety and risk awareness and ensures the safe use of chemicals at all stages of their life cycle. The objectives include that

• consumers and companies have enough information on chemicals and on their safe and appropriate use.
• communication guides to introducing safer chemicals.