2023/2148(DEC) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Notes that the Agency's final budget for 2022 was EUR 116 981 740, representing an increase of 5,3% compared to 2021; notes that budget monitoring efforts during 2022 resulted in a commitment appropriation execution rate of 98,6%, and a payment appropriations' execution rate of 85,1%; Notes that the implementation of the budget, while keeping the strict segregation between several pieces of legislation or legislative area, is resulting in unnecessary administrative burden and inflexibility

Amendment 10 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10b. Commends the work carried out in the implementation of the Integrated Regulatory Strategy (IRS) and notes with satisfaction that further progress has been made in identifying substances of concern requiring regulatory action, including the assessment of substances in groups, with approximately 2 000 substances in 61 groups assessed;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 c (new)

10 c. Invites the Agency, in respect of scientific excellence, to conduct its work in line with the Precautionary Principle, which underlines the REACH Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) and the need to protect, as a priority, human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 c (new)

10c. Notes that, on the whole, the Integrated Regulatory Strategy has led to approximately 75% of registered substances above 100 tonnes being assessed by the end of 2022; notes in this context that approximately 1 000 of these high-tonnage substances remain unassessed;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 d (new)

10d. Commends the amount of work that the ECHA has done in 2022, including the large number of applications for authorisations and the adoption of opinions supporting restrictions for substances of concern, including dechlorane plus and lead used in ammunition for hunting, sport shooting and fishing;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 e (new)

10e. Welcomes the fact that the ECHA, in cooperation with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), has taken steps to promote the 'one substance - one assessment' principle to ensure greater consistency in the hazard and risk assessment of active substances;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 f (new)

10f. Notes that the analysis for the period 2020-2022 revealed that approximately 20% of completed assessment cases were considered for further regulatory action;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Notes with satisfaction that in 2022, for the first time since the final registration deadline under Regulation (EC) No 1907/20061('REACH Regulation') in 2018, the Agency's fee income has increased, while reliance on the Union to finance its operations has slightly decreased; _________________ 1 Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC (OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1).

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses, despite this reversal, the need to address the lack of predictability of the Agency’s fee income and calls on the Commission to present its proposal to strengthen the governance of ECHA and increase the sustainability of its financing model without delay, in line with its commitment expressed in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability2 and in light of additional legal mandates the Agency is expected to take up; Highlights that persistence of budgetary uncertainty can have negative consequences on the exercise of ECHA's mandate and insists that predictable and sustainable financing is a pre-condition for effective discharge of the Agency's budget and recalls previous calls of the European Parliament to improve the Agency's budgetary certainty; _________________ 2 Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: Towards a Toxic-Free Environment, COM(2020)667, 14 October 2020, p. 16.

Amendment 4 #

Alexandr VONDRA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Underlines the necessity~~Emphasises the importance of ensuring adequate staffing that reflect~~ing~~s the needs of the ~~European Green Deal and the~~ Union Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, ~~Circular Economy Action Plan and zero pollution ambition in particular;~~the Zero Pollution Ambition for a toxic-free environment, as well as the 8th Environmental Action Programme (EAP) and the Circular Economy Action Plan

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Underlines the necessity of ensuring adequate staffing reflecting the needs of the European Green Deal and the Union Chemical Strategy for Sustainability, Circular Economy Action Plan and ~~zero pollution ambition in particular~~, in particular, the zero pollution target and the associated increase in tasks;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Welcomes the fact that 151 of the 162 planned outputs have been completed as planned and a further 8 are in progress;

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Regrets that ECHA continues to recommend authorising the use of substances of very high concern (SVHC) where there are significant uncertainties. Reminds the Agency of the obligation to verify if granting authorisation is duly justified and in line with the law, and to not support granting authorisations when non-negligible uncertainties remain on the existence of alternatives; Calls on ECHA to ensure the applicant provides sufficient data to exclude any carcinogenicity or long-term toxicity risk of the product.

Amendment 8 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Notes that the ECHA as an organisation underwent restructuring in 2022, which included significant changes at senior and middle management level and the introduction of a new hybrid working model for ECHA staff and ECHA bodies;

Amendment 9 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10 b. Deplores the very long time to restrict highly hazardous chemicals in the EU and that many uses of these chemicals are granted unjustly long or timeless derogations; calls on the Agency to strictly reference the evidence that it has considered when supporting derogations and to make remaining uncertainties clear;

source: 757.144

2024/02/09 CONT 12 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority aims to emphasize the significant importance of enhancing the democratic legitimacy of Union institutions; this involves enhancing transparency and accountability, as well as implementing performance-based budgeting and ensuring good governance of human resources;

Amendment 10 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Recalls the importance for the Agency to develop greater visibility in the media, internet, and social media in order to make its work known to the citizens;

Amendment 11 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Highlights the fact that the Agency has continued its efforts to phase out animal testing in Europe to the extent possible under the current regulatory framework; notes that ECHA promotes alternatives to animal testing in three ways: focusing on groups of substances through a separate strategy, investing in international activities that promote alternatives and new approach methodologies, and making the data Agency holds available; reiterates its call on the Agency to speed up the phasing out process; notes in addition that the Agency is collaborating with the Commission and other stakeholders to support the Commission in developing a roadmap towards the full replacement of animal testing for chemicals;

Amendment 12 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22 a. Welcomes that the Agency has continued to implement different measures to increase its public and online presence through new releases and numerous updates on its website, the launch of a joint Instagram channel with four agencies called ‘One Health One Environment’, and its presence in social media; notes in this context a growth of the general media coverage and an increase in the Agency’s social media metrics in 2022 compared to 2021;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Recalls that the Agency is financed through fees paid by industry and by an EU balancing contribution, in accordance with Regulation (No 1907/2006), Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 and Regulation (EU) No 528/2012; highlights that due to the one-off nature of the fees and their dependence on strategic decisions of the chemical industry players, there is high uncertainty as to their amount and timing; ~~insists on the need for a~~reminds that the Commission’s promised a proposal to strengthen the governance of the European Chemicals Agency and increase the sustainability of its financing model in 2020; insist that the Commission should present it immediately;

Amendment 3 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Recalls the importance to increase the digitalisation of the agency in terms of internal operation and management but also in order to speed up the digitalisation of procedures; stresses the need for the agency to continue to be proactive in this regard in order to avoid a digital gap between the agencies at all costs; draws attention, however, to the need to take all the necessary security measures to avoid any risk to the online security of the information processed, insist to step up against cyberattacks or infiltration attempts particularly originated from Russia or China;

Amendment 4 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Welcomes that the Agency has put in effect an action plan to implement the objectives of its Charter on Diversity and Inclusion adopted in 2022, aiming to achieve gender balance in the management team among other inclusion measures; acknowledges that achieving results in this area takes time; is strongly of the opinion however ~~notes~~ that the gender balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management ~~has~~needs to be improved with a faster paste, as it has only slightly decreased with 76 % positions occupied by men (82 % in 2021) and 24 % by women (18 % in 2021); notes that gender balance in the staff overall is 261 men (45 %) and 317 women (55 %);

Amendment 5 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Welcomes~~Recalls the importance to ensure staff gender balance and welcomes in this regard that the Agency has put in effect an action plan to implement the objectives of its Charter on Diversity and Inclusion adopted in 2022, aiming to achieve gender balance in the management team among other inclusion measures; asks the Agency to report to the discharge authority about the implementation of this action plan; acknowledges that achieving results in this area takes time; however notes that the gender balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management has slightly decreased with 76 % positions occupied by men (82 % in 2021) and 24 % by women (18 % in 2021); notes that gender balance in the staff overall is 261 men (45 %) and 317 women (55 %);

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Notes that the Agency has a policy on protecting the dignity of the person and preventing psychological and sexual harassment, and that the Agency is part of the interagency task force of confidential counsellors; looks forward to receiving their report and recommendations; notes that there were no reported cases of harassment in 2022 and encourages the Agency to continue and develop the work to prevent cases in the future as well;

Amendment 7 #

Katalin CSEH, Olivier CHASTEL, Ramona STRUGARIU, Alin MITUȚA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Notes with satisfaction that as of 31 December 2022, the Agency has employed staff from 26 Member States; notes that 32 % of its staff are nationals of the Member State where the Agency is located; recalls the importance of geographical balance and encourages the Agency to continue to take the necessary measures to have a balanced and fair geographical representation;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Raises concerns about the geographical balance within the Agency’s senior and middle management having only one director from Central-Eastern Europe; insists that improvements have to be made; asks the Agency to report back on this to the discharge authority;

Amendment 9 #