The chemicals policy ChemiNet proposed is based on 8 principles:

(1)manufacture and use of chemicals for a sustainable society ― reduction of total amount of chemicals;

There is a need to minimize adverse effects of chemicals on human health and environment for secure and safe civil life. Therefore, chemicals-abundant life should be changed to reduce the total amount of chemicals production, use, and emissions into the environment.

(2)no data, no market principle;

This principle does not permit distributing to the market and using chemicals without safety data. Japan has been taking the ‘no data, no regulation’stance where chemicals without hazardous data are not regulated. Now is the time to change the way we think.

(3)taking into consideration people (such as fetuses and children) and ecosystems vulnerable to chemicals;

Harm of chemicals spreads from vulnerable people such as fetuses, children, and the elderly. Chemicals need to be regulated and managed from the vulnerable people's standpoint for reducing the damage. As well as human health, ecosystems need to be taken into consideration.

(4)lifecycle management (from research and development, manufacture, use and recycling to disposal);

Chemicals should be managed not only at the stages of manufacture and use but also at the stage of disposal after use where illegal dumping and environmental pollution have become a problem. There is serious health and environmental damage caused by the disposal of electronic products which were ‘recycled’, that is exported, to China and Southeast Asia. It is important to manage chemicals included in consumer products throughout their entire lifecycle.

(5)precautionary principle;

To prevent health and environmental damage, potentially hazardous substances should not be used even though scientific evidence is not enough. When safety assessment procedures for substances are in a developmental stage like nanomaterials, their use should be suspended based on the precautionary principle.

(6)substitution principle;

It is important to use safer substances and not to continue using the same chemicals unthinkingly. If safer chemicals are found after examination, the shift to them is essential. In addition, it is necessary to consider chemical-free measures.

(7)involvement of all concerned ― collaboration principle;

Involving all concerned in chemicals management is required to solve environmental problems. We should promote the incorporation of citizens' views in policy planning.

(8)international cooperation

Chemicals can not be managed solely by Japan because chemicals spread and bring pollution all over the world. In the midst of the globalization of production activities and market economy, Japan is needed to learn from advanced systems such as EU's REACH and to establish its own chemical management system in line with those international rules.