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ChemSec welcomes Björn Hansen as new Executive Director of ECHA

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ChemSec welcomes Björn Hansen as new Executive Director of ECHA

Published on 02 Oct 2017

Last Friday Björn Hansen was appointed by the ECHA management board to take over the reigns as Executive Director when the current director, Geert Dancet, retires in the beginning of 2018.

“Björn Hansen has an impressive background within chemical policy and we hope that he will make use of this experience to make sure the procedures within ECHA gains momentum”, says Frida Hök, Senior Policy Advisor at ChemSec.

“Faster and smoother processes within ECHA could make REACH much more efficient and encouraging phase out of hazardous chemicals to a larger extent than today.”

Hansen currently works as head of unit in the Chemicals Unit of DG Environment in Brussels. From 2007 to 2008, he was seconded to ECHA as the Director of Operations and has been involved in the development of REACH from its very early days.

“I am well aware of the many challenges that lie ahead for me but I’m also confident that with the quality of staff in Helsinki and experts coming to Echa’s committees we will, together, live up to them”, Mr. Hansen told Chemical Watch.