University of Algarve

Master in Chemical Innovation and Regulation - Erasmus Mundus

The Erasmus Mundus Master Course in Chemical Innovation and Regulation - EMMC-ChIR - is an MSc degree for professionals concerned with the safety and regulation of chemical substances.

Chemicals are everywhere, are an essential component of our daily lives and definitively contribute to the well-being and prosperity of our society.

However, some chemicals can severely damage our environment or health and are dangerous if not properly used. A large number of substances have been manufactured and placed on the market in Europe for many years, sometimes in very high amounts, and yet there is insufficient information on the hazards that they pose to human health and the environment.

These are some of the reasons that make sound chemical management and regulation so important. Policy frameworks are being implemented around the world and should be in place by the year 2020. These frameworks are by the recommendations of the UN’s Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). Among international regulations such as the US’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and Japan’s Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL), the European REACH regulations, implemented in 2007, are the most ambitious. The REACH regulations (EC 1907/2006, REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances) are recognized internationally and have been adopted and adapted by the main trade partners of the EU such as China.

The REACH legislation allows for the gathering of scientific information (registration and evaluation) and applying preventive risk management measures (authorization and restriction) of all chemicals manufactured or imported to the EU. European manufacturers and importers of chemical substances are required to provide extensive information regarding all potential hazards caused by chemical substances contained in their products. This affects European and non-European companies supplying the European market and it requires an extensive amount of research from public and private research centres to assess the toxicity of chemical substances and to design new safer alternatives to their use.

The EMMC ChIR - Erasmus Mundus Master in Chemical Innovation and Regulation - provides professionals with all the tools and knowledge needed from the scientific, regulatory and economic point of view to manage the risks of chemicals responsibly and to meet responsibilities over chemical legislation worldwide.

As an Erasmus Mundus project, ChIR aims to promote research and collaboration in the EHEA supporting the implementation of chemical safety regulations.