2008 discharge: European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)

PURPOSE: to present the final accounts of the European Chemicals Agency for the financial year 2008.

CONTENT: this document sets out a detailed account of the implementation of the European Chemicals Agency’s budget for the financial year 2008. It notes that the final budget amounts to EUR 66.4 million in 2008 and which represents a EUR 62.6 million Community contribution and a EUR 3.8 million fee income.

As regards the staffing policy, the Agency, whose head office is in Helsinki (Finland), employed 220 staff members. 210 are currently occupied and + 34 other staff (contract agents, seconded national experts and Interims) totalling 244 assigned to operational, administrative and support tasks.

In 2008, the Agency concentrated on the following activities:

·        Preparations and capacity building as a new Agency in fields of registration, evaluation, authorisations and restrictions, classification and labelling and committees

·        Development of REACH-IT system and other IT systems

·        Administrative and management systems build up

In addition, on an operational level:

·        Number of pre-registered substances: 150 000

·        65 000 companies signed up

·        Number of dossiers registered: 1 460

·        Number of questions answered by helpdesk: 12 325

·        Number of new guidance documents issued: 6

·        Number of guidance updates issued: 10

·        Candidate list: 15 substances included.

The complete version of the final accounts may be found at the following address: http://echa.europa.eu/publications/annual_accounts_en.asp