Enforcement of chemicals legislation takes place at various levels and is carried out by various authorities in Sweden and in the EU.
The Swedish Chemicals Agency is responsible for the enforcement of legislation on chemical products, pesticides and articles provided by first-tier suppliers (manufacturers or importers of products into Sweden).
Municipalities and county administrative boards are responsible for supervising how chemicals are handled in work activities, for example by professional users or in operations that are hazardous to the environment. Municipalities are also responsible for checking chemical products, pesticides and articles in the retail trade.
In addition to the Swedish Chemicals Agency, several other authorities are responsible for parts of the enforcement of legislation on chemicals, for example the Swedish Work Environment Authority, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
In Sweden, overarching issues concerning chemicals are brought together under one authority (the Swedish Chemicals Agency). Responsibility for chemicals may differ in other countries. It may, for example, be shared between authorities responsible for the environment, working environment and agriculture.
