The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) was created on 1 June 2007 and located in Helsinki, Finland. It plays a central role in the implementation of REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC regulations.

REACH is the Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. It entered into force on 1st June 2007. It streamlines and improves the former legislative framework on chemicals of the European Union.

CLP is the Regulation on Classification and Labelling and Packaging of chemicals. It entered into force on 20 January 2009. Both regulations seek to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment and facilitate the free circulation of chemicals within the European single market. In addition, REACH promotes alternative methods to animal testing and enhances the competitiveness and innovation of industry.

BPR is the Biocidal Product Regulation, which entered into force in 2013. It concerns the placing on the market and use of biocidal products, which are used to protect humans, animals, materials or articles against harmful organisms, like pests or bacteria, by the action of the active substances contained in the biocidal product.

PIC is the Prior Informed Consent Regulation, which entered into force in 2014 and administers the import and export of certain hazardous chemicals and places obligations on companies who wish to export these chemicals to non-EU countries. It implements, within the European Union, the Rotterdam Convention on prior informed consent procedure for certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides in international trade.

ECHA manages the main processes of REACH, CLP, BPR and PIC Regulations. According to Article 117(4) of the REACH Regulation, the Commission has to report every five years on the functioning of REACH, starting from 1 June 2012. Therefore, there is a legal obligation for the Commission to report again in 2017.

The next Commission report will build on Member State and ECHA reports (due in the course of 2015 and 2016), as well as on a number of specific studies launched by the Commission in order to assess particular elements related to the implementation of REACH. The ECHA review shall contribute to the Commission’s review/reporting of the REACH Regulation by 1 June 2017. The first review of ECHA took place in 2012. This evaluation will cover the period since the last review taking account of the new tasks entrusted to the agency since then.

The contractor is expected to evaluate the performance of the Agency following the European Commission’s guidelines for evaluations. In doing so, the contractor has to assess the Agency's efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, coherence and EU added value in building up its capacities and in managing its operations, as well as its acceptability. On the basis of the conclusions, the contractor will propose suggestions/recommendations for improvement.

Important

Please note that since 01/01/2012, all tendering documents relating to DG Enterprise are published through a Commission wide unique platform called "eTendering", consequently the tendering documents will no longer be published here. If you are interested in this call, please use this link  to get access to all tender documents.

The documents will always be visible and downloadable but if you ‘register’ to the call by simply adding your e-mail address and a password, you will be able to ask questions and you will be informed automatically on all changes that may be published (additional documents, answers to questions...).