IFCS Indicators of Progress
Priorities for Action beyond 2000
and
Forum Recommendations
QUESTIONNAIRE
Please provide the information described on the following pages concerning your country,
giving the current status and, to the extent possible, that foreseen at the end of 2006
Please complete:
COUNTRY: FINLAND
1.
NATIONAL CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITIES FOR CHEMICALS MANAGEMENT
Priorities for Action E1 and E21
1a)
Has a comprehensive National Chemicals Management Profile, or other
equivalent strategic national plan, been developed
through a multi-stakeholder process2?
National Profile
Yes
X
Other equivalent strategic national plan
No
‫ڤ‬
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes" to either of the above, please indicate the original publication date and
the date(s) of any revisions.
_Original publication December 2005______________________________
If "Yes" to either of the above, please list all ministries, agencies and
organizations that participated:
-
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health;
Ministry of the Environment;
Ministry of Trade and Industry;
Ministry of the Interior;
Ministry of Transport and Communications;
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health
Safety Technology Agency
Finnish Environment Institute
Chemical Industry Federation of Finland
Association of Finnish Technical Traders
Finnish Chemical Workers’ Union
City of Helsinki Environment Centre
Uusimaa Regional Environment Centre
Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
Finnish Institute of Occupational health
National Public Health Institute
Confederation of Finnish Industries
____________________________________________________________
If "No", is your country in the process of developing or planning on developing a
Comprehensive National Chemicals Management Profile?
1
The Priorities for Action Beyond 2000 may be viewed on the IFCS website at www.ifcs.ch.
A multi-stakeholder process is a process involving all concerned national ministries and other government
institutions, as well as other interested national parties.
2
1
Yes
‫ڤ‬
Expected completion date ___________
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", have equivalent measures such as a government investigation on
chemical safety followed by legislative measures been undertaken?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please describe:
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
1b)
Has your country developed any of the following on the sound management of
chemicals?
National Policies
If yes, please
provide year
completed.
1990
If development is in progress,
please provide the expected
completion year?
2006 (National Chemical
Program)
2006 (National Chemical
Program)
1984
2006 (for the Stockholm
Convention on POPs)
National Priorities
No
National Strategies
National Action Plans
1c)
Has your country established an inter-ministerial/intersectoral coordinating
mechanism (e.g. committee or body) to facilitate the comprehensive treatment of
chemical safety issues?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes":
What is the name of the "mechanism"?
- Advisory Committee on Chemicals; established 1990
- Advisory Committee on Chemical Safety at Work; established 1994
- Pesticide Commission, established 1984
When was it established?
2.
CLASSIFICATION AND LABELLING OF CHEMICALS
Priority for Action B1
2
2a)
Has your country initiated work to adopt and implement the Globally Harmonized
System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS)?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", what is the expected date (year) GHS will be fully operational?
_____Implementation in accordance with the European Union legislation
2b)
Has your country ratified and implemented ILO Convention 170 on Safety in the
Use of Chemicals at Work3, or instituted comparable measures?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
- comparable measures, not ratified
3.
NATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON HAZARDOUS
CHEMICALS
Priority for Action C1
3a)
What arrangements are operational in your country for the exchange of
information on hazardous chemicals? Please describe.
The National Product Control Agency for Welfare and Health (Finnish abbr.
STTV) monitors compliance with regulations on chemical substances and
preparations and the placing on the market of these products. The product
register of the chemicals register (Finnish abbr. KETU) at the Agency contains
data on more than 100 000 chemicals and 30 000 of them are available on the
Finnish market. The registration of chemicals is based on the Decree of the
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on submitting information on chemicals
(374/2002). The Product Register can be used by authorities, the Poison
Information Centre and research institutes. The data of the register is used, for
example, in the treatment of cases of acute poisonings, in the preparation of
legislation and as a tool for chemicals control.
The Finnish Environment Institute monitors compliance with regulations on
chemicals dangerous for the
environment and has specialized in collecting and disseminating environmental
data.
Several different databases are available for chemical information and a
publication on the different data sources on chemicals has been published by the
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
Please indicate if the established infrastructure includes:
3
ILO Convention 170 may be viewed on the ILO website at:
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm
3
1) website where national partners can gain access to chemical information
sources,
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
The authorities keep informative websites, for example Finland’s
environmental administration at www.ymparisto.fi, the Safety Technology
Authority at www.tukes.fi, the National Product Control Agency for
Welfare and Health at www.sttv.fi, the Finnish Institute of Occupational
Health at www.occuphealth.fi, the national Public Health Institute at
www.ktl.fi and the Advisory Committee on Chemicals at
www.kemikaalineuvottelukunta.fi. Also the industry and trade as well as
the different organisations have their own websites.
2) institutional directory listing sources of information
Yes
4.
X
No
‫ڤ‬
NATIONAL PROCEDURES ON SAFETY INFORMATION FOR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN
CIRCULATION
Priority for Action C3
4a)
Does your country have procedures in place to ensure that any hazardous material
put into circulation is accompanied, at a minimum, by appropriate and reliable
safety information that is easy to access, read and understand?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes":
Are the procedures consistent with the safety data sheets of the 1990 International
Labour Organization Chemicals Convention (No.170)?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
Do they conform to the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and
Labelling Of Chemicals?
Yes
5.
‫ڤ‬
No
X
ECOLOGICALLY SOUND AND INTEGRATED STRATEGIES FOR PEST MANAGEMENT
Priority for Action D1
5a)
Has your country prepared integrated pest management strategies?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
Not a comprehensive strategy but IPM guidelines for
several plants, for example for strawberry, raspberry, currant and
apple
4
If "Yes", were national studies done to develop the strategies?
Yes
6.
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
OBSOLETE STOCKS OF PESTICIDES AND OTHER CHEMICALS
Priority for Action D2
6a)
Are there any obsolete stocks of pesticides and/or other chemicals in your
country?
Yes
6b)
‫ڤ‬
No
X
Has your country prepared an action plan for disposal of obsolete stocks of
pesticides and other chemicals?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
If "Yes", has the action plan been implemented?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", has the action plan been completed?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", is work in progress to prepare an action plan?
Yes
‫ ڤ‬If yes, what is the expected completion date (year)?
___________
No X If no, why not? _____Waste legislation exists and is in accordance with
the European Union waste legislation_____________
7.
NATIONAL SYSTEMS FOR PREVENTION OF MAJOR INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS AND
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & RESPONSE
Priority for Action D4
7a)
Has your country implemented a national system for emergency preparedness and
response, in accordance with international principles 4?
Yes
x
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", is work in progress to implement the system?
Yes
‫ ڤ‬expected completion date (year)? _______________
4
No
‫ڤ‬
Ref. OECD Second Edition 2003 Guiding Principles for Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and
Response, undertaken in cooperation with other international organizations, including ILO, IMO, UNECE,
UNEP, UNOCHA (UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit) and WHO.
5
7b)
Is there a national law requiring the system?
Yes
7c)
x
No
‫ڤ‬
Has your country ratified and implemented ILO Convention 1745 on Prevention
of Major Industrial Accidents?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
x
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
8.
‫ڤ‬
No Under investigation
INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PESTICIDES
8a)
Has your government implement the revised International Code of Conduct on
the Distribution and Use of Pesticides (November 2002) 6 as the basis for a
comprehensive life cycle approach to pesticide management ?
Yes
No
X
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
8b)
‫ڤ‬
No
X
Have the provisions of the Code of Conduct been implemented through other
pieces of legislation or by other means?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please briefly describe.
Partly implemented as the Finnish pesticides legislation corresponds to the
European Union pesticides legislation
______________________________________________________________
9.
POISON CENTRES
Priority for Action D7
5
ILO Convention 170 may be viewed on the ILO website at:
http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm
6
The International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides may be viewed at:
http://www.fao.org/AG/AGP/AGPP/Pesticid/
6
9a)
Have poison centre(s) been established in your country?
Yes
X No ‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please indicate classification level for each poison centre:
WHO Status of Development Classification
well-established centres, the full range of clinical analytical and other relevant facilities
A
and cover the whole country.
well-established centres, but lack some of the related facilities or do not provide full
B
coverage to the country. These centres require further development in order to meet
the ideal criteria for centres given in the IPCS Guidelines
certain facilities for poison control, but require major support to develop further areas
C
of activities, according to the criteria in the IPCS Guidelines, and should expand
coverage through the country.
Centre (Name &
location)
Date
Established
Poison
Information
Centre, Helsinki
9b)
Classification initial
Classification 2000
Classification current
A (corresponds
WHO status A
but not exactly
as stated
because it is
located in
central hospital
area)
A
A
Is strengthening of poison centers planned?
If "Yes", for what time period?
____________________
9c)
If there are no established poison centres in your country, is work under way in
your country to establish a poison control centre with related chemical and
analytical facilities for the first time?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
7
If "Yes" when do you expect the poison control centre to be operational? Please
provide location and date (year).
________________________________________________________
10.
POLLUTANT RELEASE AND TRANSFER REGISTERS/EMISSION INVENTORIES
Priority for Action D8
10a)
Has your country established:
An air emission inventory?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
A land emission inventory?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
A water emission inventory?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
A waste inventory?
Yes
X No ‫ڤ‬
A Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)?
Yes
X
EU/EPER
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", is work being initiated to design a PRTR or emission inventory
system?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
10 b) Has your country implemented a system comparable to the PRTR (e.g. the
Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)?
Yes
11.
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
PREVENTION OF ILLEGAL TRAFFIC IN TOXIC & DANGEROUS PRODUCTS
Priority for Action F
8
11a)
Has your country developed a national strategy, or other national measures (e.g.
legislation, action plans) for the prevention of illegal traffic in toxic and
dangerous products?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", when was it prepared? Please indicate date (year)
1989 was given the Chemicals Act (744/1989) that obligates the Customs to
control chemicals imported and exported. The Act contains also provisions on the
sanctions for non-compliance.
12.
Children and Chemical Safety (Forum IV Recommendation)
12a)
Has your government prepared, through multi-stakeholder consultation,
initial national assessments of children’s environmental health and
chemical safety?
Yes
X
No
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
12b)
No
‫ڤ‬
Has your government taken action to promote harmonized data collection,
research, legislation and regulations, and the use of indicators of children’s
environmental health?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "Yes", please briefly describe:
Case by case when needed. Systematic research on health effects of outdoor and
indoor air pollution, also selected bioindicators in exposed groups, monitoring of
drinking water, food and breast milk. CAFÉ, CEHAPE and other international
ongoing processes.
Data Collection and Research:
Monitoring of
- drinking and bathing water according to the EU protocol
- sediments and fish for several environmental contaminants, including POPs
(National Public Health Institute (NPHI), Finnish Environment Institute)
- breast milk for several environmental contaminants (NPHI)
- food intake of a representative population sample; children are now being
included (National Food Agency, NPHI)
- indoor air in schools and homes for formaldehyde and volatile organic
compounds (NPHI, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health)
- exposure to environmental tobacco smoke of school-aged children (National
9
Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, University of
Tampere)
- hazardous chemicals in toys (Finnish Consumer Agency)
Research on the links between exposure to
- POPs (placenta and milk samples) and allergies in childhood (NPHI)
- dioxins and PCBs and cleft palate (NPHI) and dental defects (University of
Helsinki)
- chemical and microbial exposures in school buildings and respiratory health
in children (NPHI)
- nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide and respiratory health in preschool
children (NPHI)
- indoor air pollution and health risks in ice arenas (NPHI)
- environmental chemicals and male reproductive health (University of Turku,
NPHI)
Legislation and regulations:
Overall, children are included in the chemical legislation and regulations as
vulnerable groups. Ordinances specifically aimed at children include a ban on
certain phthalates in toys and childcare articles to be put in the mouth for
children under 3 years (1999) and a decision on child-resistant fastening and
tactile warning in the packaging of a dangerous chemical (2001). The safety of
toys is also regulated by an act (1997).
Use of children's environmental health indicators:
Information on basic indicators (chemical poisoning incidents,
hospitalizations, rates of chronic diseases) is available through hospitalization,
death, cancer, and drug imbursement registries. Finland participates in the
Environment and Health Information System (ENHIS) project.
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
13. HAZARD DATA GENERATION (Forum IV Recommendation)
13a)
Has your government established national priorities for information
generation for chemicals that are not produced in high volumes?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
If "No", are efforts under way to do so?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
X
Other Forum IV Recommendations address:
10
Please provide brief information on specific actions your government has taken to
respond to the recommendations of Forum IV in these areas:
Occupational Safety and Health;



Ban on asbestos and strict demands on the demolition work have had
remarkable effects
Binding list of concentrations of impurities in workplace air known to be
hazardous (HTP values) and list of corresponding indicative limit values for
biological exposure indicators; the latest version is from 2005.
Youth and work-program (FIOH), specific legislation on working conditions
and safety of youth in working life, occupational health care system: both
preventive actions and work protection
Acutely Toxic Pesticides – risk management and reduction;



Special qualification needed for the use on certain dangerous pesticides
Advance approval system for the assessment of pesticides
Total ban on paraquat and other very dangerous pesticides by Council of
State Decision 1361/1996
Capacity building;


Support to chemicals control activities in Russia
Support to the chemicals control activities of Baltic Environmental Forum in
Baltic states and Russia
INFOCAP (Information Exchange Network on Capacity Building for the Sound
Management of Chemicals) implementation.
Projects additional to what is mentioned in http://www.who.int/ifcs/infocap/

Awareness raising and capacity building on chemicals control on NorthWest Russia; BACCON Rus 1; The project was implemented by the Baltic
Environmental Forum in co-operation with other stakeholders. The overall
goal of the BACCON Rus project was to support capacity building at state
authorities and industry in Russia for set-up and implementation of an efficient
chemicals management system. It started in October 2004 and last till
December 2005. Finnish Ministry of the Environment was one of the sponsors.
11
Details of person completing the questionnaire:
IFCS National Focal Point:
Yes
Pirkko Kivelä
X
Name:
Counsellor
Title:
Ministry of the Environment
Ministry
No
Address
Postal address: P.O. Box 33, FIN-00023 GOVERNMENT, Finland
Street address: Kasarmikatu 25, Helsinki, Finland
+358(0)9 160 39733
Tel:
15th February 2006
+358(0)9 160 39716
Fax:
Email:
Date:
pirkko.kivela@ymparisto.fi and
kenk.stm@stm.fi
Signature:
Please provide the following additional information:
Does the IFCS National Focal Point have direct access to the Internet in his/her office?
Yes
X
No
‫ڤ‬
If "No", does he/she have access to the Internet in the building where he/she works?
Yes
‫ڤ‬
No
‫ڤ‬
12