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Internationally assessed for the environment only
This section relates to introductions that are internationally assessed for the environment only. These must meet all of the criteria described in each step to be considered a 'low risk' introduction under AICIS.
Guidance on this page must be read in conjunction with Step 5.2: Introductions that can be low risk for the environment in our main Categorisation Guide. Step 5.2 relates to internationally-assessed introductions for the environment.
If you have not followed our main Categorisation Guide, do not go any further until you do so.
If you have not followed our main Categorisation Guide, do not go any further until you do so.
If a trusted overseas body has assessed your introduction for the environment and it meets all the other criteria in this guide related to the environment, its indicative risk to the environment is low.
Your introduction must meet all of the criteria described in each step of this section.
You can also use our decision tool to work out if your introduction is low risk for the environment.
- This section relates to chemicals that have been internationally assessed for the environment only. These must meet all of the criteria described in each step to be considered a 'low risk' introduction under AICIS.
- If the overseas report — or any other information from the overseas jurisdiction where the chemical was assessed — states that the chemical cannot be used overseas or is prohibited, then you do not meet our criteria for an introduction that has been internationally assessed for the environment.
- If you have direct access to the complete overseas report, compare the new hazard information available to you with the hazard studies described in the overseas report. If you don’t have direct access to the complete overseas report, check the information that was submitted to the overseas body. This is the information that the overseas body based their assessment on.
- If you meet our equivalent criterion for an introduction that has been internationally assessed for human health, then you will also meet it for an introduction that has been internationally assessed for the environment. Your chemical’s end use in Australia must be the same as the end use overseas. Otherwise, you will not meet our criteria for an introduction that has been internationally assessed for the environment.
- To meet our criteria for an introduction that has been internationally assessed for the environment, the maximum volume of the chemical to be introduced into Australia each year must be the same or lower than the maximum volume introduced overseas. The maximum volume introduced overseas is the maximum volume that the accepted overseas jurisdiction assessed.
- To meet our criteria for an introduction that has been internationally assessed for the environment, the introduction and use of your chemical in Australia must not pose a greater risk to the environment than the risks identified in the overseas report.
- The overseas assessment of the chemical might include conditions or restrictions on how it can be used so that any risks to the environment are reduced to an acceptable level. If so, you must be able to apply these conditions or restrictions in Australia. Restrictions may be based on: i. a chemical’s intended use or end use ii. chemical concentrations in certain types of products