The need for HERA was triggered by the reviews of chemical management policy in the EU and elsewhere such as the USA. It is the view of industry and academia that hazard data should not be considered in isolation, but in a risk perspective by the addition of exposure data. HERA will compliment the commitment of the global chemical industry (ICCA-International Council of Chemicals Associations) to collect intrinsic properties and generate initial hazard assessments and generate hazard information on 1000 high production volume (HPV) chemicals by the end of the year 2004. (www.icca-chem.org)