The EU Better Regulation agenda of the Juncker Commission (2014-2019) sets a framework and a mind-set shift for potential significant improvements to the existing EU legislation. The detergent and maintenance products industry, through the A.I.S.E. network, has always been proactive in engaging in constructive and continuous dialogue with stakeholders at EU and national levels, in order to communicate its well-recognised policy and regulatory expertise, and proactively drive the safety and sustainability agenda of the sector.

For decades, relevant safety information to consumers has been of key importance to the industry. The association therefore wholeheartedly embraces the opportunity to contribute further to this topic and ensure that consumers notice the safety information, understand it, take it into account and act upon it to ensure safe use.

Objectives of the workshop :

• Gather different stakeholders’ perspectives on the effectiveness of EU labelling requirements to convey hazard and safe use information to consumers and medical personnel on chemicals products, in particular, detergents and maintenance products.
• 
  Develop a common understanding among consumer representatives and industry of issues related to consumer comprehension of labelling elements, specifically pictograms and other hazard labelling information (i.e. "define the problem”).
• 
  Explore opportunities for novel communication approaches, such as QR tags, and online information.
• 
  Discuss the methodology to study consumer comprehension of hazard labels in more details.

Hosted by A.I.S.E. the International Association for Soaps, Detergent and Maintenance products, with input from Risk & Policy Analysts (RPA[1]), the workshop was open to interested stakeholders upon invitation, including public authorities, consumer associations and other NGOs, health care and industry representatives. Its main conclusions and subsequent findings will be used by industry. They may also prove relevant for the ongoing study on the regulatory fitness chemicals legislation, in particular the case study on "Consumer understanding and relevance of safety information on product labels”).

 
[1] RPA, lead consultant for the study on the regulatory fitness of chemicals legislation (excluding REACH), one of the key studies supporting the European Commission’s fitness check on chemical legislation
 

Programme

• 10:00- 10:30  Arrival of participants & welcome coffee

• 10:30 - 10:40  Welcome by moderator Hans Bender. Objectives of the day by Charles-François Gaudefroy, A.I.S.E. President.

• 10:40 - 10:55  European Commission (DG GROW), Reinhard Büscher, Head of the Chemicals Unit : Safe use of chemicals: the potential of Better Regulation and the fitness check of chemicals legislation

• 10:55 - 11:05  Update on the study on the regulatory fitness of chemicals legislation , with focus on the case study on consumer understanding and relevance of safety information on product labels, Linda-Jean Cockcroft, RPA.

• 11:05 - 11:20  Perspective from consumers/surveys to date on current labelling system – Valérie Séjourné, A.I.S.E.

• 11:20 - 11:35 Perspective from poison control centres – Fabrizio Sesana (Milano PCC): Distinguishing between consumer information and medical personnel information

• 11:35 - 11:50  Testimonial from an A.I.S.E. company on label complexity and administration – Paul Clohessy, P&G for A.I.S.E.

• 11:50 - 12:00  Testimonial from a public authority on consumer education  activities – Peter Dekker, Nederlandse Voedsel-en Warenautoriteit (NVWA - The Netherlands)

• 12:00 - 12:30  Other relevant insights: recent US/ASTM research, Lori Dixon (by phone); feedback from related DU sectors, Alain D’Haese (Aerosols/FEA), Janice Robinson (paint/CEPE)

• 12:30 - 13:00   Discussion
• 13:00 - 14:00   Lunch

• 14:00-15:30 Sub group discussion 1

Focus on consumer info - By Hans Bender:

Perspective from market research agency by Pedro Zaragoza, Synapses Quali, reporting on the planned qualitative market research due in June 2016 commissionned by A.I.S.E.

- Discussion on: planned research, assumptions based on today’s situation; what works, what does not work ;  validation and/or comments to the interview guide

-Possibly brainstorm on the ideal detergents product label for consumers.

Sub group discussion 2

Focus on medical personnel info - By Geert Boeije:

Discussions with PCCs, GP, Dermatologists, etc - Discussion on their reactions based on today’s situation; what works, what does not work

-Input from ESCD

-Which expectations do we get from the medical community as regards adequate labelling information?

-What info /gradation would be needed?

 

• 15:30 - 16:00   Debrief from sub groups
• 16:00 - 16:30   Conclusions and next steps

Following the A.I.S.E. workshop on better regulation for the safe use of detergents and maintenance products on Friday 10 June 2016, we are pleased to invite you to view the conference materials: