Cooperation agreement

The implementation of REACH is partly a federal, partly a regional competence and partly a competence of the communities. The complexity of the application and enforcement of REACH requires a coordinated approach.

This is why a REACH agreement of cooperation has been concluded between the authorised federal and regional authorities. The agreement is to ensure the coordinated and effective implementation of REACH in Belgium (in accordance with article 92 bis, § 1, of the special law of 8 August 1980 for reforming the bodies).

In view of the limited competence of the communities, for these competences REACH is implemented within the context of an already existing agreement of cooperation (the agreement of cooperation of 10 December 2003 between the Federal Government, the Flemish Community, the French-speaking Community, the German-speaking Community, the Common Community Commission, the French Community Commission, the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and the Brussels Capital Region for cooperation between the policy areas of health and the environment (NEHAP).

Three committees are set up in the context of the REACH agreement of cooperation. Two committees are responsible for the coordinated approach to the application and enforcement of REACH. A third committee will mainly ensure scientific support.