40 th Anniversary A day of celebration and lively debate

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1 EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR ECOTOXICOLOGY AND TOXICOLOGY OF CHEMICALS SUMMER th Anniversary A day of celebration and lively debate In This Issue Day AT a glance Highlights of the day P 3 Olivier de Matos outlines the ECETOC strategy for the future P 5 Geert Dancet praises ECETOC achievements over the past four decades Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock looks to inspire gender diversity in the next generation P 7 P March Bibliothèque Solvay Celebrations held in Brussels historic home of scientific excellence P 11 Quotes of the day P guests 3 keynote speakers P1 Visibility Engagement Impact

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3 Highlights Of The Day Almost 80 guests attended ECETOC s 40th celebration event at the Bibliothèque Solvay in Brussels on 21 March. This event celebrated the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals (ECETOC). For the past four decades, ECETOC has been a champion of scientific excellence and science-based decision-making in Europe and has provided a forum for top scientists from academia, government and industry to work together to develop and promote practical and realistic science-based solutions. The guests were welcomed by ECETOC Secretary General Olivier de Matos, who outlined his strategy to guide the organisation in the years ahead (see separate article). The first keynote speaker of the day was Geert Dancet, former Executive Director of ECHA, who praised ECETOC s contribution to chemicals legislation over the past four decades, in particular the development and implementation of REACH (see separate article). Following his speech, Dancet took questions from the audience. After lunch, there were two lively panel discussions, moderated by Madeleine Laffont (Business4Good, BE). The first panel consisted of Jim Bridges (University of Surrey, UK), ECETOC Scientific Committee Chair Ben van Ravenzwaay (BASF) and former ECETOC Secretary Generals Neil Carmichael and P3

4 Mike Gribble, who debated whether we can draw lessons from the past, but we can t live in it (a quote from Lyndon B. Johnson). Technology and big data are contributing to opening the black boxes that we had in terms of understanding scientific processes and biological mechanisms. Ben van Ravenzwaay This was followed by a second debate on whether if you don t know where you are going, any road will get you there (from Lewis Carroll). This second panel featured Melanie Bausen (BASF), Rabea Graepel (Leiden University), Thomas Hartung (John Hopkins University) and Tina Mehta (Dow AgroSciences). Ben van Ravenzwaay, Scientific Committee Chair, then drew together the main conclusions of the day. He said that both evolving technology and big data are contributing to opening the black boxes that we had in terms of understanding scientific processes and biological mechanisms, which will in turn enable better and safer new chemicals to be developed. This will differ from what was done in the past when you developed a chemical to serve a purpose, tested it and either it survived or not in which case you had wasted your money. P4

5 He added that, it was clear from the discussions during the day, that ECETOC has a bright future ahead, with much to contribute. However, the big challenge will be to ensure that ECETOC maintains the trust of all its stakeholders and continues to demonstrate that it is unbiased by being completely transparent. Following a pause for a networking cocktail, the final keynote speech was delivered by the renowned scientist and broadcaster Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, often referred to as the BBC s face of space (see separate article). The event was covered live on social media, under the hashtag #ECETOC40. Olivier de Matos outlines the ECetOC strategy for the future New Secretary General Olivier de Matos welcomed the invited guests to the 40th anniversary event and opened the day by outlining ECETOC s new strategy. The world around us is changing very rapidly and as an organisation we must adapt to this change, said de Matos. My mission is to prepare us for the next, equally successful, 40 years ahead. De Matos revealed three strategic principles to guide ECETOC s future success as an organisation: visibility, engagement and impact. Visibility, he explained, means becoming much more engaged with the existing ECETOC membership, as well as making potential new members aware of what the organisation does. We need to spend more time listening to you to better understand what you want from us as an organisation. We also have to demonstrate how we can help and support you and your organisations. We must prove how your membership benefits your businesses, not simply take it for granted that you value what we are doing said de Matos. P5

6 We are not just speaking to scientists We are speaking to a much wider audience and this audience does not always understand what we say or the implications coming from it. Olivier de Matos However, to continue to be valuable, ECETOC will need to start a more active dialogue with its external stakeholders the second strategic principal. De Matos will reconnect ECETOC with key scientific fora and major EU and international entities, such as JRC, ECHA, and UNEP. He added that ECETOC should also consider selective partnerships with other organisations that promote science, reinforcing its purpose as a collaborative space for scientific excellence. ECETOC must also simplify its communications about science and the outputs that it produces. We are not just speaking to scientists, de Matos continued. We are speaking to a much wider audience and this audience does not always understand what we say or the implications coming from it. Moving on to his third strategic principle, impact, de Matos said that while the world of science faces new challenges on many fronts, the way society and the political world understand science has also dramatically changed. In particular, there is great public cynicism about science with the result that it is more and more difficult to be heard. But scientific expertise remains absolutely essential today in particular to solve some of the world s greatest challenges. This is where de Matos believes ECETOC can make a real impact. We should find the right balance between short-term topics that demonstrate immediate value to our members and longer-term topics with a high strategic value, so that we can P6

7 engage with scientific debates much earlier in the process. And when we engage, we need to be recognised as the scientifically independent organisation that we are. He continued: We must make it a priority to track societal trends, focusing on activities that promote scientific excellence, rather than spending time constantly defending science against its detractors. As the heart of ECETOC, our Scientific Committee must ensure that its collective knowledge remains current, relevant and useful. That way, we can ensure that we continue to make a significant impact in the scientific debates to come. We have a reputation that we can all be proud of, a reputation we must preserve and nurture. de Matos concluded We must continue to provide scientific solutions that are valuable to the regulatory community, to industry and to society in general, and also an open, collaborative environment where the top scientists from academia, government and industry work together to address global challenges. Geert Dancet Praises ecetoc Achievements Over the Past Four Decades In his opening keynote speech, Geert Dancet, former Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency, started by congratulating ECETOC on its 40th anniversary. He recalled that, back in 1978, the European Community had only two pieces of chemicals legislation: on classification and labelling of dangerous chemicals (dating from 1967) and on restricting the marketing and use of dangerous chemicals (from 1976). At that time, Dancet said, the world was starting to worry about, for example, the carcinogenicity of asbestos and other substances. Also, in 1978, Sweden was the first country to ban the use of aerosols because of their impact on the Ozone Layer. Authorities had gained the means to restrict the use of substances and were ready to use them. Industry needed to respond and P7

8 demonstrate its own interest in ensuring the safety of chemicals. It was against this background that ECETOC was created, to enable the best scientists from industry to combine their expertise and play a constructive role in distinguishing good from bad substances. Later, the arrival of REACH posed a colossal challenge to the chemical industry and ECETOC. While major parts of industry lobbied to stop or reduce the impact of the REACH system on their business, ECETOC focused on writing numerous scientific papers and organising workshops to try to develop methodologies that would underpin the future risk assessment of substances under REACH. ECETOC also worked tirelessly to build its Targeted Risk Assessment tool (TRA), for calculating exposure risks to workers, consumers and the environment, parts of which have since been integrated into ECHA s Chesar tool. Dancet praised the valuable contributions ECETOC gave to ECHA, in particular: 11 use of toxicokinetic data in safety assessments; 11 interpretation of different OECD test results or guidelines linked to sediment, fish dietary bioaccumulation, in-vivo mutagenicity test; 11 interpretation of monitoring data; P8

9 11 species selection in environmental endocrine disruption testing; and 11 hazard assessment of UVCBs (Chemical Substances of Unknown or Variable Composition, Complex Reaction Products and Biological Materials). Experts from ECETOC and ECHA are in a key position to collaborate on breakthrough pilot approaches, ensuring that the latest knowledge on toxicology and ecotoxicology that is validated by regulators is considered when deciding on the safe use of substances. GEERT DANCET Looking back at the development and implementation of REACH, Dancet said there are many things to be proud of. First is the progress we ve made towards our ultimate goal safer chemicals in Europe, and protecting human health and the environment from their toxic effects... What could be more important than that? Not only are hazardous substances being better controlled and the most dangerous ones phased out, but the innovation in bringing safer substances to the market by forward thinking companies is paying off. Dancet told attendees that Europe is now leading the world in giving direction to regulatory change. Countries such as China are building on REACH for their own new legislation and companies in third countries are using EU data even before having to comply with EU legislation. Looking ahead, Dancet sees great potential in collaborating on methodologies that address the sub-lethal effects of chemicals. Developments in biomedical and ecotoxicological sciences are advancing at tremendous speed and open up opportunities to study the effects of endocrine disruptors, nanomaterials, microplastics, mixtures. He also cited omics methodologies which he believes have the potential to document and screen specific effects. Experts from ECETOC and ECHA are in a key position to collaborate on breakthrough pilot approaches, ensuring that the latest knowledge on toxicology and ecotoxicology that is validated by regulators is considered when deciding on the safe use of substances. Dancet concluded his speech by saying that he looked forward to continuing to work with ECETOC in the coming years in his new role as Secretary General of the Helsinki Chemical Forum. P9

10 Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock looks to inspire gender diversity in the next generation The key to expanding the frontiers of future science is gender diversity and inspiring the younger generation, according to one of Europe s leading space scientists, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock. Speaking to guests at the Bibliothèque Solvay in Brussels, Dr Aderin-Pocock first congratulated ECETOC on its 40th anniversary and its impressive scientific legacy, to date including 131 technical reports, 55 JACC reports, 19 Special reports and more than 100 publications in peer reviewed journals. We need to find ways to inspire the next generation to be passionate about science, especially young girls, through positive role models and by communicating the worlds of wonder that science reveals. DR Maggie Aderin-Pocock However, she warned that the future for European science was uncertain, in particular because scientific subjects did not appeal to young people: Science today is not very attractive to the next generation. Unless we change that mindset and fast we run the risk of scientific progress slowing down in the future. She offered as an example that, in the UK, currently fewer than 15% of year-olds aspire to pursue a career as a scientist, leaving the UK with a potential skills shortage. We need to find ways to inspire the next generation to be passionate about science, especially young girls, through positive role models and by communicating the worlds of wonder that science reveals. Using her life experience as an example of how to encourage more girls to get involved in science, she said: The biggest thing that we have working in our favour is that sense of wonder. She added that there were some positive signs that things were starting to change, with more girls overall now choosing to study STEM subjects at school and university. However, she added that these scientific girls were mostly choosing to study medicine and biological sciences, rather than the physical sciences of physics, chemistry, computing and engineering. P10

11 Celebrations held in Brussels historic home of scientific excellence The venue for ECETOC s 40th anniversary celebrations could not be more evocative: the Bibliothèque Solvay is the historic home of scientific excellence in Brussels. Established in 1902 by the renowned chemist and entrepreneur, Ernest Solvay, this sociology institute regularly hosted scientists from around the world, who came to share their thoughts and ideas. In 1894, Solvay had asked the government to create a specific body to scientifically analyse social issues but was rebuffed. Being an entrepreneur at heart, he decided to create it himself and the Institute of Sociology was born. Its objective was to be a research laboratory and meeting place for scientists. It was a first in Europe. For 20 years, the Bibliothèque Solvay played host to the famous Solvay Conferences, whose participants included luminaries and Nobel Prize winners Max Planck, Ernest Rutherford, Maria Skłodowska-Curie, Henri Poincaré, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Erwin Schrödinger and Albert Einstein. Situated in the Brussels Leopold Park, next to the European Parliament and close to other EU institutions, this 115 year-old monument to scientific excellence is one of Belgium s finest architectural examples of Eclecticism. P11 Members of the ECETOC Board and Scientific Committee at the Bibliothèque Solvay

12 Quotes Of The Day I will always remember the first ECETOC task force, in which I was asked by my company to participate and which was about human risk assessment. We collected and assessed a lot of scientific papers and did a lot of forward thinking and what came out of this exercise was assessment factors which are still being used today, for example for REACH risk assessment. MARTIN KAYSER Chair of the Board of Administration If you look at REACH as one of the most prominent regulations in Europe, you can see that many of the elements you find in ECETOC publications are also part of how risk assessment is done as a process in REACH. And not just REACH, also for regulations all around the world. ECETOC has put sound science at the heart of decision-making in all of the areas where our task forces were established and work was done. I think this has resonated with the authorities in Europe and that is really the value of the scientific work that ECETOC has done in the past: to make sure that people understand that a decision can only be an acceptable or good decision if it is based on science. Looking back, what I am very proud of that ECETOC has accomplished is the Targeted Risk Assessment tool (TRA). We established a very useful tool that is accepted by regulators, academia as well as by industry and which has given a pragmatic flavour to regulation, which was much needed at the time. CHANTAL SMULDERS Vice-chair of the Board of Administration My hope for the future is that ECETOC can really be a platform for scientific excellence and that science is the core and not just the party you represent. So whether you are a regulator, in industry or in academia, my hope is that we can find each other in the science and that ECETOC forms the neutral ground, the platform where we can all meet and come to a common understanding of where the science will lead us. And ideally, we will go to a place where chemicals can be safely used and where people not only know they are safe, but also feel safe. It would be really great if, in future, the public can trust the science, can trust the people, that P12 they can feel safe in a better and healthier environment.

13 LORRAINE FRANCOURT Treasurer If we as a society no longer have a strong foundation in science that we can trust, then we would be making decisions based on emotions Then, as a society, we risk losing that strong foundation of good decision-making based on facts. Because, at the end of the day, that s what science is it s facts. What ECETOC brings together is scientists, coming from all walks of life, different countries and organisations. They make good scientific data available that society can use in a very sound way to make decisions. The dream scenario is that ECETOC can not only do very good science themselves and make data publicly and transparently available to all sorts of elements of society but that we also have a society whose citizens have enough of an understanding of that science to feel confident that they can see a sound scientific argument versus something that doesn t really stand up to scrutiny. Looking ahead, i believe the glass is clearly more than half full. We clearly have challenges ahead But the methods that we are using, and the new approaches that we have adopted at ECETOC enable new chemistry to be developed, while at the same time ensuring that our current chemicals can be handled safely. BEN VAN RAVENZWAAY Chair of the Scientific Committee I think the greatest challenge that we must overcome, in order to be efficient and to be able to demonstrate that what we propose is workable and reasonable, is to build trust. Not only from an academic and scientific point of view, but in particular for regulators and ideally also for NGOs, who, i would hope, will understand that what we are proposing is not to ensure that bad chemicals stay on the market. instead, that toxicology, ecotoxicology and exposure sciences all contribute to the safety of chemicals and help get a better chemistry into the market and that we have ensured or even increased the safety. This can only be achieved if beyond our scientific output there is also trust in what we do. P13

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