EU chemical industry extends Responsible Care scheme

Responsible Care is a voluntary initiative developed by chemical companies throughout the world, under the ICCA – International Council of Chemical Associations – to “continuously improve the health, safety and environmental performance of their operations and products”.

The chemical distributors, under the ICCTA – International Council of Chemical Trade Associations – have also in place a generic programme called “Responsible Distribution / Responsible Care”.

This agreement between FECC and CEFIC is in line with ICCA’s objective to extend Responsible Care throughout the chemical community and to sectors allied with the chemical manufacturing industry such as chemical distributors, traders, transporters etc.

Through this agreement, FECC and CEFIC are committed to endorsing and continuously developing the objectives of Responsible Care, and to using exclusively the Responsible Care name and logo in their safety, health and environmental programmes.

In order to obtain the right to use the Responsible Care logo, national chemical distributors’ associations must comply with the generic ICCTA Guidelines and must sign a partnership agreement with the chemical industry associations of their countries, which must be endorsed by FECC and by CEFIC.

FECC and CEFIC will co-operate to improve and develop the Responsible Care programme, and will work together to phase out the name “Responsible Distribution” in Europe by 2005.