New directions for the Harmonization Project

The Harmonization Steering Committee met in October 2004, in Cincinnati, Ohio to map out the new Strategic Plan and key activities for the IPCS Project on the Harmonization of Approaches to the Assessment of Risk from Exposure to Chemicals (the "Harmonization Project"). In the lead-up to the meeting, a Stocktake of the Project was conducted with the objectives of:

• evaluating the outcomes of the Project since its inception
• collecting feedback on the use and usefulness of the Products of the Project
• identifying any gaps or issues to be addressed
• gathering proposals for future work

The Stocktake outcomes were discussed by the Harmonization Steering Committee at the Cincinnati Meeting. The results helped both shape the future of the Project and prepare the new Project Strategic Plan for 2005-2008. A range of new activities were proposed, including:

• Aggregate/cumulative risk assessment
• Data quality in exposure assessment
• Immunotoxicity (skin sensitization)
• Problem formulation in risk assessment process

The three latter areas will be addressed using a new “sharp-focus” approach in order to produce shorter, targeted guidance. For more information see the Record of the Meeting, the new Strategic Plan, and the Stocktake Analysis Summary.