1 Introduction -- 1.1 The New EU Chemicals Policy - REACH -- 1.2 Why Regulate Chemicals? -- 1.3 Risk Definitions -- 1.4 What are chemicals? - Defining the scope of the research project -- 1.5 Policy, Risk Management and Risk Reduction Strategies -- 1.6 Rationale and Choice of Countries -- 1.7 Conclusion and Research Questions -- 2 Literature Review -- Introduction -- 2.1 Chemical Risks -- 2.1.1 Hazard and Exposure -- 2.1.2 Toxicology -- 2.1.3 Exposure Assessment -- 2.1.4 Risk Characterisation -- 2.2 Obstacles to Risk Management -- 2.2.1 Structure of Risk Management -- 2.2.2 Existing Chemicals Regulation -- 2.3 The Regulatory Process -- 2.3.1 Regulatory Options -- 2.3.2 Recent Developments in Regulation -- 2.3.3 Regulatory Decision-Making -- 2.3.4 Regulatory Approaches -- 2.4 REACH -- 2.4.1 A New Era for Chemical Control -- 2.4.2 Uncertainties in the New System -- 2.4.3 Decision-making under REACH -- 2.4.4 Potential Improvement to Health and the Environment -- 2.4.5 Business Effects of REACH: Cry Wolf? -- 2.5 Conclusions -- 3 Methodology -- 3.1 Research Design -- 3.2 Analytical Framework -- 3.3 Interview Selection -- 3.4 Interview Technique -- 3.5 Initial Analysis -- 3.6 Interviewee Response Validation - Cross-Checking -- 3.7 Systems Framework -- 3.8 Strengths and Limitations of this Research -- 3.9 Conclusion -- 4 National Approaches -- Introduction -- 4.1 Chemical Landscapes -- 4.2 Regulatory Approaches -- 4.3 Regulatory Administrations -- 4.4 Policy Styles and Implications for Risk Management -- 4.4.1 Policy Styles -- 4.4.2 Strengths and Weaknesses -- 4.4.3 EU Decision-Making -- 4.5 Social and Cultural Contexts -- 4.5.1 Legal Systems and the Role of Experts -- 4.5.2 Future Socio-Economic Concerns and Chemical Safety -- 4.5.3 Public and Political Catalysts -- 4.6 Propensity to Change -- 4.7 Preparing for Implementing REACH -- 4.8 Conclusions.

4.8.1 Discussion and Conclusions -- 4.8.2 Recommendations -- 5 A Systems Framework to Implement REACH -- 5.1 The Need for Regulatory Reform -- 5.1.1 Risk Assessment -- 5.1.2 Risk-Reduction Strategy (RRS) -- 5.2 REACH - A Critical Analysis -- 5.3 Systems Framework -- 5.3.1 Decision-Making Rules -- 5.3.2 Technical Guidance for Decision-Making -- 5.3.3 Administrative Structures -- 5.4 Prioritisation of Regulatory Decision-Making -- 5.5 Conclusions -- 6 Evaluating the Systems Framework -- Introduction -- 6.1 From Risk to Safety: Review of the Systems Framework -- 6.2 Testing the Systems Framework -- 6.2.1 Regulatory Outcomes -- 6.2.2 Prioritisation of Regulatory Decision-Making - Results -- 6.3 National Approaches under the Systems Framework -- 6.4 Consensus on Banning Chemical Production or Use -- 6.5 Discussion and Conclusions -- 7 Conclusion -- Introduction -- 7.1 Harmonisation of EU Risk Management -- 7.2 Implications of the Research -- 7.2.1 Sustainability in the EU Chemical Industry -- 7.2.2 National Approaches and EU Decision-Making -- 7.2.3 Implementing REACH -- 7.2.4 Risk Analysis -- 7.3 Global Dimensions of REACH and the Research -- 7.4 Milestones -- 7.5 Research Contribution -- 7.6 Future Research -- Acknowledgements -- References -- Appendix -- Appendix 1.1 - Definitions -- Appendix 1.2 - Substances outside the scope of the research project -- Appendix 1.3 - Chemical industry activity (information based on [24]) -- Appendix 2.1 - Risk Phrases -- Appendix 2.2 - Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) -- Appendix 2.3 - The Precautionary Principle -- Appendix 2.4 - National Factors -- Appendix 3.1 - List of Interviews -- Appendix 3.2 - Interview Questions -- Appendix 4.1 - National Policy of Sweden, UK and Germany -- Appendix 4.2 - Trust, Media and Actors: Swedish Chemical Wars -- Appendix 5.1 - Regulatory Options -- Abbreviations and Acronyms -- Index.