Chemistry International
Vol. 21, No.2, March 1999

1999, Vol. 21
No. 2 (March)
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Chemistry International
Vol. 21, No. 2

March 1999

New Books and Publications

National Profile to Assess the Chemicals Management in Slovenia

Toward the Implementation of the Recommendations of Chapter 19 of Agenda 21 on the Environmentally Sound Management of Chemicals

December 1997

Chemicals are present in all segments of human life, in all parts of their life cycle-from production, treatment processing, distribution, storing, transport and use, to chemical waste management and disposal. This book mainly concerns industrial chemicals, agricultural pesticides, biocides, and consumer chemical products. These chemicals make life possible or at least easier but, nevertheless, their impact can be harmful because the more that large quantities of chemicals are in use, their potential misuse can represent a risk to human health and the environment. Slovenia is especially sensitive to certain kinds of environmental damage because it is geographically and hydrogeologically very diverse. Furthermore, a great part of the territory is karstic with interconnected underground drinking-water resources, which means that the pollution at one part of the country could endanger many other parts.

It has been recognized that an appropriate level of chemical safety can only be reached by a joint action of all governmental and nongovernmental stakeholders involved. Thus, measures for appropriate management of chemical risks and for ensuring sustainable development must be taken with a concerted stepwise approach at all levels, including individual. In line with international recommendations and according to our own need, the Intersectoral Committee on the Management of Dangerous Chemicals (ICMDC) was established by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia in the summer of 1996. To facilitate information exchange and to avoid duplication of work, which can cause a loss of very limited financial and manpower resources, ICMDC began to work as a central coordinating, advisory, and facilitating body with the function of a catalyst. The work accomplished in these months has shown that in Slovenia in this field many things still have to be put in order, while some of them we only have to give a final touch to. To begin with rebuilding and upgrading of the system, first an assessment of the situation (a national profile) had to be prepared. Like a living organism, the chemical safety field is constantly developing in every country; therefore, the document should be revised and updated periodically and additional pieces added to the mosaic. In the countries in transition to the market economy, such as Slovenia, the situation changes quickly. The present version of the national profile was drafted before IFCS 11 in Ottawa in February 1997.

The National Profile served as a basis for the identification of potential priorities which were then set at the National Priority Setting Workshop in November 1997. According to the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, within the framework of a two-year pilot project, the Intersectoral Committee is to prepare a national program for integrated chemicals management. Although Slovenia has rich experience with the preparation of a national program for environment protection, the approach in this field will be different-more detailed and integrated-and instead of unisectoral, a multisectoral approach will be taken.

This publication is presented by the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Intersectorial Committee on the Management of Dangerous Chemicals, and prepared with the assistance of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), edited by D. Lovincic MS, coordinated by D. Bostjancic. Editorial board: D. Lovincic MS, D. Bostjancic, J. Leban, and J. Vidovic.

1000 Ljubljana, Stefanova 5, Slovenia; Tel.: (386) 61-178-605 1; Fax: (386) 61-123-1781.


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