As regards environmental issues specifically, EU Aid for Trade should help partners develop more sustainable production methods and assist producers in complying with (public and private) health, safety and environment standards in export markets and improve the capacity of customs to help implement trade-related aspects of Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

In particular, the European Food Safety Authority should be consulted on the efficacy and the safety of such feed when, on the basis of available scientific and technological information, there are reasons to believe that the use of the feed in question may not meet the particular intended nutritional purpose or may have adverse effects on animal health, human health, the environment or animal welfare.

encouraging multidisciplinary patient safety education and training of all health professionals, other healthcare workers and relevant management and administrative staff in healthcare settings;

encouraging multidisciplinary patient safety education and training of all health professionals, other healthcare workers and relevant management and administrative staff in healthcare settings.

In short, the health and environment objective of REACH is expected to be achieved through (1) better knowledge on the properties and uses of substances resulting in better safety and control measures, reducing exposure and hence, the negative impacts on human health and the environment; and (2) the use of less dangerous alternative substances or technologies to SVHC.

Policies on the work environment also have an impact on health, both in and beyond the workplace and synergies should be developed with the Community Strategy on Health and Safety at Work [5]. For these reasons the Commission launched an Environment and Health Strategy in June 2003 (referred to as the SCALE initiative [6]) proposing an integrated approach involving closer co-operation between the health, environment and research areas. Its added value is the development of a Community System integrating information on the state of the environment, the ecosystem and human health.