Assessing Possibilities for Enhanced EU-South Korea Cooperation on Chemical Regulation

This paper investigates chemicals regulation in the European Union (EU) and South Korea. Both jurisdictions have shown an increased level of regulatory activity in recent years with the EU developments preceding the South Korean by only a few years. While the EU engaged in a major overhaul of its regulation, which was adopted in late 2006, South Korea has amended its chemicals law five times between 2004 and 2008 and issued a draft proposal for a major reform in 2011. Both regulatory developments have communalities but also differences. This paper argues that EU chemicals regulation had effects on policy developments in South Korea and it explores opportunities for enhanced, mutually beneficial EU-South Korean cooperation.nrpages: 167-193status: publishe