The management board of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has appointed Bjorn Hansen, head of the chemicals unit at the European Commission’s Environment Directorate-General, as the agency’s next executive director.

Hansen will take up his role in January 2018, replacing Geert Dancet who has held the position since the agency was established in 2007. ECHA said Dancet will retire as of the beginning of 2018.

As part of the appointment procedure, Hansen will make a statement before the European Parliament and answer questions. The contract signing is scheduled to take place at the management board meeting to be held on Dec. 14-15.

Hansen joined as head of DG Environment’s chemical unit in June 2003. From 2007-2008, he was seconded to ECHA as operations director and has been involved in developing Europe’s Reach chemical legislation from its very early days.

Commenting on the appointment, Marco Mensink, director general of the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), said Hansen is “a well-known and highly regarded expert with decades of first-hand experience in developing EU chemical legislation”. He added: “We are confident that his expertise and demonstrable ability in providing outstanding leadership will help fulfil the agency’s mandate during his term in the office.”

At the same time, Cefic commended Dancet for “having done an excellent job in building a strong organization and enhancing the implementation of the EU chemical legislation over the past ten years".

Denmark-born Hansen will serve a standard term in office of five years, but ECHA’s management board could extend it for a further five years.