Identification of a harmonised and reliable risk assessment methodology including thresholds for microplastics and reliable methods for sampling and analysis in surface water and groundwater

ECHA is tasked with publishing scientific reports concerning the prioritisation of substances for the watchlists, the priority substance list, and the groundwater pollutant list under the Water Framework Directive, Environmental Quality Standards Directive and the Groundwater Directive. The legal text indicates specific tasks for ECHA relevant to the watchlist process. One of these relates to the potential inclusion of microplastics on the next watchlists for surface water and groundwater. On the basis of scientific reports prepared by ECHA, microplastics are to be included in the watch lists provided that reliable methods of sampling and analysis not entailing excessive costs are available. Microplastics cannot be kept on the list for a second consecutive period of three years unless a harmonised and reliable risk assessment methodology is available which, when applied, shows that the monitoring data collected during the first monitoring period are insufficient to assess the risk they pose to or via the aquatic environment. This specific study will focus on developing such a harmonised and reliable risk assessment methodology, also taking into account recent studies and recommendations on sampling and analysis of microplastics in the aquatic environment. The study will include collecting and reviewing scientific information and data that would support the assessment of EU-wide risk from microplastics including the development and justification of appropriate thresholds to support the risk assessment. Interest to participate must be declared exclusively via the electronic submission system. Economic operators can express interest by clicking on "Express interest". Interest to participate declared in any other way (e.g. e-mail or by letter) will be disregarded. You are kindly informed that • Participation in ECHA’s call for tenders is open on equal terms to all natural and legal persons registered and with legal personality in the Member States of the European Union as well as to international organizations. • It is also open to all natural and legal persons established in a third country which has a special agreement with the European Union in the field of public procurement on the conditions laid down in that agreement. For this procedure, this means economic operators established in a country under a Stabilisation and Association Agreements or in the EEA Agreement. This procedure is, however, not covered by the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). • The rules on access to procurement do not apply to subcontractors. Subcontracting may not be used with the intent to circumvent the rules on access to procurement. • Tenderers must ensure that none of the involved entities are subject to EU restrictive measures adopted under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) or Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). The prohibition applies throughout the whole performance of the contract. Interested parties which do not fulfil the above-mentioned conditions may not be invited to participate to the following invitation to tender. Interested parties are reminded that the publication of an ex-ante publicity notice does not guarantee that ECHA will launch a call for tender on the subject it covers.