The prime responsibility for acting under the ICCA HPV Chemicals Initiative lies with companies producing HPV chemicals.

Companies may decide to join together in international consortia to undertake the work and to share the burden. Such consortia can often be formed under the auspices of existing sector groups or CHEMSTAR panels.

A company (or national federation or Sector Group/CHEMSTAR Panel) should take the initiative to organize, in co-operation with companies from other continents, a meeting of all the companies which have expressed interest in a particular substance (or group of substances) on the ICCA working list. While a face-to-face meeting is preferable the first discussion is likely to be in the form of a telephone conference call.

In order to form an international consortium, companies will need to reach agreement on the following:

• Nomination of a Consortium Focal Point (or "Lead Company")

The Consortium Focal Point is the company (often called "Lead Company"), individual or organization authorized to act on behalf of the consortium. The Consortium Focal Point is responsible for all external matters related to information gathering/submission, assessment activities, regular contacts to the OECD sponsor country, liaison with the ICCA HPV Work Group force and registering the consortium membership and other necessary information on the ICCA tracking site, http://www.iccahpv.com/.

• The chemicals or groups of chemicals to be addressed (chemicals included in categories will be added to the ICCA list unless SIDS dossiers have already been completed).

• Data availability in relation to the OECD SIDS and mechanisms/responsibilities for getting the missing data

• The establishment of a mechanism for cost-sharing.

• Identification of other producers who should be invited to join the group and the method for approaching them (e.g. via consortium members or national federations).

• Issues of information confidentiality and mechanisms for dealing with them.

• Pertinent regulatory issues

The following work will need to be completed by the consortium in order to meet its commitments under the ICCA HPV Initiative:

• Sharing available information on the chemicals, excluding information sometimes considered by companies as Confidential Business Information (CBI), in an open and transparent process and on a voluntary basis.

• Validation and evaluation of data, justification for derogations or for providing information in excess of minimum requirements.

• Agreement on the country which the consortium could ask to act as sponsor for the chemicals in the OECD/SIDS process.

• A workplan for completing the OECD process to the completion of a SIDS Initial Assessment Report, including provisions for any needed testing.

All companies joining together in an international consortium enjoy the same rights related to any activity/decision related to the chemical. The results of all meetings should be confirmed to all consortium members in writing. When important decisions are required, a draft decision should be circulated in advance, in writing.

After the consortium has reached sufficient agreement to proceed, the Focal Point should register the consortium membership and the assessment plan on the ICCA tracking system.

Note: Submission of a company agreement form, combined with registration on the ICCA tracking system, is regarded as a formal commitment to complete the OECD assessment process for that substance.