Regulatory Updates Europe 2023

Leigh is Chemical Watch News & Insight's Managing Editor and was previously in charge of our global business coverage. Prior to joining the company, Leigh wrote for the Press Association, ICIS and edie.net, covering a range of environmental and business related topics.

Cristina de Avila is Head of the Sustainable Chemicals Unit of the European Commission’s Environment Directorate-General, where she has been in charge of drafting the Commission’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, currently focusing on its implementation.

Dr Sharon McGuinness was appointed by the Management Board as Executive Director and took up her role on 1 December 2022. Prior to joining ECHA, Dr McGuinness was the Chief Executive Officer of the Health and Safety Authority in Ireland 2018-2022, and Assistant Chief Executive for the Chemicals and Prevention Division in the Health and Safety Authority 2006-2018.

Sylvie, Cefic's Deputy Director General, has more than twenty years experience in EU regulatory affairs focused on chemicals policy, working in both trade associations (A.I.S.E. and Cefic) and in chemical companies (ExxonMobil Chemical, Dow).

Marko Sušnik is an advisor for chemical law and chemical policies. He is involved with REACH, CLP, national chemical law, nanotechnologies, biocides, pesticides and fertilizers. At the European level he works in numerous expert groups related to chemicals. His work is very much focused on the impact of European legislation on SMEs. From his professional training he is a chemist, specialized on organic chemistry and organic technologies. He finished his chemical education with a PhD in chemical engineering. 

Tatiana holds a Chemistry degree and both MSc. in Environmental Impact Assessment and Occupational Health Safety. She has been working in chemical risk issues, chemicals legislations, occupational health and safety, chemicals in the circular economy and substitution of hazardous chemicals for around 20 years.

Katrin Schütte is a policy officer in DG Environment, in Unit B2 Sustainable Chemicals. Her responsibilities cover several aspects of REACH, in this role she is leading the work on the definition of registration requirements for some polymers as well as the amendment of the information requirements for all REACH-substances following the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.

Kristina is a consultant in environmental policy, working at the science-policy interface related to chemicals, the circular economy, environmental health, and other topics. Kristina has been a key contributor to several studies for the European Commission related to the revision of REACH, including the proposal for a mixtures assessment factor (MAF), the development of an essential use concept, and the wider impact assessment for the revision of REACH.

Valentina has been working in the European Commission since 2011, dealing mainly with chemicals policy. She is currently focusing on REACH restrictions for environmental risks and on international work on chemicals. Her background is in environmental chemistry. Specifically on PFAS, she is the main author of the PFAS action plan, part of the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. She is working on the REACH restrictions on PFAS and on the proposals for listing in the Stockholm Convention.

Georg has been working in the REACH unit of DG GROW for more than 10 years. He covers all policy developments in the area of endocrine disruptors, persistent and complex substances. Georg is in particular following issues on SVHC-identifications and restrictions, but also on registration and evaluations under REACH. He has been involved in setting up the Restriction Roadmap, which lists planned and potential restrictions including those on flame-retardants.

Thijs studied ecotoxicology at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and works as coordinator of REACH restrictions and authorisations at Bureau REACH at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). He also manages the REACH UPFAS restriction dossier for the Netherlands.

Christian holds a PhD in chemistry and a certificate in toxicology and is employed at the Federal Office for Chemicals (German Competent Authority for REACH, Biocides, CLP and PIC regulations), in the unit “Evaluation of Chemicals and Risk Management”. Since 2017, Christian has been appointed as the Alternate German member in ECHA’s Member State Committee and he regularly participates in ECHA’s Endocrine Disruptors Expert Group.

Dr Tim Bowmer joined ECHA in 2012 as Chair of the Committee for Risk Assessment and has steered RAC through more than 40 meetings. RAC makes recommendations to the European Commission on Restrictions, Authorisations, Classification and labelling, Occupational Exposure Limits and from 2025 onwards, the Drinking Water Directive EU positive list.

In 2020, Filipe joined Cefic, where he deals with the topics of polymers registration under REACH, Endocrine Disruptors and Microplastics. In April 2022, Filipe became Product Stewardship Director, in charge of the emerging issues cluster. 

Kastalie is a Policy Officer and Economist in the Safe and Sustainable Chemicals unit at the European Commission (DG ENV), where she focuses on files such as the essential use concept, substitution, the PFAS restriction(s), and socio-economic analysis in authorisation and restriction.

David has recently retired after 35 years in global legislative processes, and a wide range of experience of EU biocide committees, working groups and technical workshops. In addition to his recent role as Senior Regulatory Analyst in Chemical Watch he worked for just under 20 years at UK HSE (UK Competent Authority for Biocides) as well as 7 years in industry and 5 years as a consultant.

As senior expert in the European Commission, DG Internal Market, Industry, Enterprise and SMEs, REACH Unit Otto Linher deals with the implementation of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability and, in particular, the planned revision of the REACH Regulation.

For the past 15 years, Sylvain has been employed at the European Commission as the team leader and policy co-ordinator of the legislation for registrations, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and the legislation for classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals (CLP) in the Directorate General for the Environment. He leads the development of European legislation with regard to hazard and risk for human health and to the environment from chemicals. He also oversees guidance and monitors the implementation of the CLP and REACH regulations.

Gerald finished his doctoral studies on the bacterial production of biodegradable plastics in 1996. After additional courses in animal cell culture techniques and immunology at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, he joined the Colipa scientific department at the end of 1996. Since 2001 he is Cosmetic Europe’s Director of Technical Regulatory & International Affairs.

Having a background in Applied Chemistry and Physical Engineering, Cindy worked for two years in R&D at L’Oréal Japan, in Tokyo. In 2021, Cindy joined A.I.S.E. where she is in charge of the regulatory activities linked to the CLP Regulation and the Detergents Regulation. She represents A.I.S.E. members in engagements with the European Commission, ECHA and other stakeholders. 

Lars Vogt is Director EU Policy at TIE, Toy Industries of Europe (TIE), with over 10 years of experience in Brussels on EU public affairs. He joined TIE in 2016 and is responsible for relations with EU institutions with a focus on issues like toy safety, sustainability and market access.

Pelle is team leader for safety and health at BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation. Pelle supervises BEUC’s Safety and Health team and leads on BEUC’s work related to harmful chemicals. Pelle represents consumer interests in various Commission expert groups, such as the Working Group on Cosmetics Products and the Expert Group on REACH and CLP.

Mary works for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) heading up the Chemicals Strategy. Mary is leading the development of a Chemicals Strategy alongside Other Government Departments and Agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Environment Agency, as well as the Devolved Administrations. Mary has worked for Government since 2009, beginning her government career in Natural England and later moving to Defra. She has worked on a range of issues, including agriculture, environmental assessment, environmental planning, and media and communications. 

Iain is a chemist (FRSC) and on leaving academia spent more than 20 years in a variety of scientific, regulatory and managerial roles with a multinational Si company. In 2009 Iain co-founded and became the managing director of the knoell group’s UK affiliate, Dr Knoell Consult Ltd. He has continued to lead the UK company as well as directly providing REACH consulting support to a variety of clients. In recent years, he has become active in the developing area of standalone UK chemicals regulations, specifically UK REACH, on which he has written articles and presented.

Neil is an experienced scientist and regulatory expert with over 35 years involvement in the chemical industry. He has worked in various technical and product safety related roles and currently leads on regulatory affairs for BASF in the UK. He began his career with Allied Colloids, which was subsequently combined into Ciba Specialty Chemicals in 1998, before this organization was acquired by BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, in 2009. Since 2007, Neil has been actively involved in REACH compliance projects including registration dossier compilation, SIEF negotiations, data & cost-sharing mechanism construction alongside consortia representation and production site conformity. Currently, he is coordinating BASF’s activities and providing guidance on the development and implementation of corporate processes to ensure UK chemicals legislation compliance across BASF’s expansive portfolio.

Ninja Reineke is Head of Science at CHEM Trust. Her main work areas are REACH and CLP. She is a member of the ECHA ED expert group and participated in the CARACAL subgroup on EDs (CASG ED). She also follows work at the science-policy interface, e.g. in EU research projects like HBM4EU, the EURION cluster and PARC. 

Jan is an applied chemist by background. She has been with A.I.S.E. since 2020, following more than twenty-five years in the coatings industry, including ten years at its European association in Brussels.