National Inspectorates - Germany

In Germany, the Competent Authority for REACH, CLP and BPR is the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (“Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin” – BAuA). BAuA acts as the general Focal Point to ECHA and the European Commission for the three regulations. In addition, BAuA is the Designated National Authority (DNA) for the PIC Regulation and the Competent Authority for the POP Regulation.

As Germany is a Federal Republic, enforcement is under the sole responsibility of the individual Federal States (“Länder”). To them, BAuA provides scientific expertise, informational services and legal support, if indicated. BAuA also acts as their Focal Point for contacting other European authorities.

The enforcement authorities of the “Länder” conduct regular inspections on companies and products on the German market. They also run focused enforcement projects and check up on imports in cooperation with national customs authorities.

The above-mentioned authorities meet regularly in various working groups and commit-tees, such as the Working Committee of the Federal Government and the Federal States on Chemical Safety (“Bund/Länder Arbeitsgemeinschaft Chemikaliensicherheit” – BLAC) in order to solve common issues and to ensure harmonised enforcement.

The BLAC shares experiences and promotes the exchange of information between the Federal Government and the States, and maintains contacts with stakeholder associations and interest groups. It also provides suggestions and develops proposals for the development of legal provisions and represents the interests of the Federal States in international bodies. Through its information brochures, the BLAC publishes essential guidelines for the enforcement of chemicals legislation.