Introductory text

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Whereas:

The Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits for Chemical Agents (hereinafter the Committee) was set up by Commission Decision 95/320/EC^f1 to evaluate the health effects of chemical agents on workers at work. The work of the Committee directly supports Union regulatory activity in the field of occupational safety and health. It develops high quality comparative analytical knowledge and it ensures that Commission proposals, decisions and policy relating to the protection of workers’ health and safety are based on sound scientific evidence.

The Committee assists the Commission, in particular, in evaluating the latest available scientific data and in proposing occupational exposure limits (OELs) for the protection of workers from chemical risks, to be set at Union level pursuant to Council Directive 98/24/EC^f2 and Directive 2004/37/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council^f3.

Members of SCOEL are highly qualified, specialized, independent experts selected on the basis of objective criteria. They are appointed in their personal capacity and provide the Commission with Recommendations and Opinions that are necessary for the development of EU policy on workers protection. The nature of the contribution is such that without it the Commission could not reach its social policy objectives to protect workers’ health and safety. Therefore, these independent experts should receive remuneration beyond reimbursement of expenses, which is proportionate to the particular tasks attributed to them.

The work of the Committee makes an effective contribution to improving the working environment to protect workers’ health and safety by providing the Commission with scientific evidence on the health effects of chemical agents on workers at work which is indispensable in order that the Commission is able to attain the relevant Union social policy objectives. Therefore, the financing of its activities will be provided by the relevant budget line that is dedicated to supporting initiatives in the social policies and working conditions field.

There is also a need to introduce improvements to the structure and working procedures of the Committee.

The Committee members should be selected through a call for expression of interest. This will ensure that the procedure respects the principles of equal opportunities and transparency.

With a view to ensuring continuity and efficiency of the Committee’s work, the members appointed by Commission Decision 2009/985/EU^f4 should remain in office until new members of the Committee are appointed.

Scientific advice that is given on matters relating to the protection of workers’ health and safety must be based on the ethical principles of excellence, independence, impartiality and transparency, as developed in the Commission Communication on ‘The collection and use of expertise by the Commission: principles and guidelines. Improving knowledge for better policies’^f5, and it must be organised in accordance with best practice principles of risk assessment.

Since substantive amendments are to be made to Decision 95/320/EC, that Decision should be repealed and replaced by a new Decision in the interest of clarity,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: