Export notification for banned or severely restricted chemicals (PIC)
How to make an export notification
An exporter established in Finland who intends to export a chemical listed in Annex I to the PIC Regulation outside the EU must submit an export notification to the Finnish Environment Institute Syke. The declaration shall be made in the ePIC system maintained by the European Chemicals Agency ECHA.
Notify on time
The notification must be submitted at least 35 days before the first export of the year to the country in question takes place. If the chemical is in Part 2 or 3 of Annex I to the PIC Regulation, the approval of the recipient country is also required. Syke will apply for the approval unless one already exists. It may take more than 35 days to obtain the approval.
Submit the notification in ePIC
Submit an export notification in the ePIC electronic system maintained by ECHA. The system will assign a unique reference number to your export declaration, the so-called RIN ID.
Once the export notification has been processed and the potential import approval has been obtained, the notification becomes active in the ePIC system on the first possible export date.
Enter the reference number in the customs declaration
When exporting a chemical, enter the RIN of your export notification in the customs declaration. In the electronic declaration service of the Customs, the correct section for the RIN is "special mentions".
Chemical safety data sheets included in the shipment
As the exporter, you are also responsible for complying with the regulations on the classification and labelling of chemicals for all chemicals exported from the EU and for providing safety data sheets for chemicals with the consignment.
Information about the safety data sheet (Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency, Tukes)
The invoice is sent once a year
The exporter must pay the costs of processing the chemical export notification to the Finnish Environment Institute Syke and the application for approval from the country of import. Syke sends the invoice once a year.
Report quantities of exported and imported chemicals annually
Report the quantities of exported or imported chemicals listed in Annex I from the previous year to the PIC Regulation annually to the Finnish Environment Institute by the end of March in the ePIC system.
Rotterdam Convention and EU PIC Regulation
Rotterdam Convention
In 1998, Finland and the EU signed the international Rotterdam Convention (pic.int) on the so-called PIC procedure (Prior Informed Consent).
The Parties to the Rotterdam Convention undertake not to export the chemicals covered by the Convention to countries which have banned imports. The purpose of the Convention is to provide contracting countries with the possibility of refusing to accept particularly dangerous chemicals. Member States may decide on the import of chemicals mentioned in the Convention after receiving a summary of the dangers and risks of the chemical. These decisions on imports are published twice a year in the PIC Circular (pic.int) on the website of the Rotterdam Convention.
The Parties also undertake to notify the destination country of exports of chemicals that are banned nationally or strictly regulated.
EU PIC Regulation and amendments
The implementation of the Rotterdam Convention within the EU is regulated by the PIC Regulation. The EU applies the export notification and consent procedure beyond what is required by the Convention, as there is a wider range of chemicals within the scope of the PIC Regulation than would be required by the Convention alone. The EU also applies these procedures to exports to countries that are not parties to the Convention. Annex I to the Regulation is regularly updated.
See also
Understanding PIC (European Chemicals Agency ECHA)
International Trade in Hazardous Chemicals, PIC (European Commission)
Chemicals legislation (Ministry of the Environment)
International cooperation concerning chemicals (Ministry of the Environment)
More information
Senior Officer Pirke Suoheimo, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), pirke.suoheimo@syke.fi
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