8-13. The Possibility and Challenges of Harmonizing EHS Regulations Through International Cooperation

The unification of EHS (Environment, Health, and Safety) regulations through international cooperation is a matter of great concern for companies operating globally. Responding to different regulations and standards in each country increases the compliance burden on companies and hinders sustainable development and the smooth flow of international trade. Therefore, there is growing interest in international regulatory harmonization and unification movements.

Potential avenues for this include guidelines and standardization activities promoted by international organizations such as the UN, OECD, and ISO. For instance, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides a common foundation that can be applied across different national laws, such as the environmental management standard (ISO 14001) and the occupational health and safety management standard (ISO 45001). Additionally, regulations like the EU's REACH and the reform of the U.S. TSCA are influencing international regulatory design, leading more countries to adopt similar directions.

However, many challenges remain. It is not easy to uniformly standardize regulatory levels due to differences in economic development stages and industrial structures among countries. Even if developed countries introduce strict standards, emerging countries may face a significant cost burden, raising concerns about a decline in their industrial competitiveness. Furthermore, simple regulatory unification is not realistic due to differing cultural backgrounds, legal systems, and policy priorities in each country, necessitating a flexible framework.

Moreover, corporate transparency and data disclosure are essential for regulatory unification. There is a need to understand EHS risks across the entire supply chain and establish internationally shareable data formats. However, differences exist among countries regarding the level of information disclosure and legal enforceability, making practical coordination time-consuming.

In conclusion, while the unification of EHS regulations through international cooperation can enable global companies to handle compliance more efficiently, it also involves significant challenges like international politics and economic disparities. In the future, a "harmonized approach" that utilizes international frameworks while ensuring regional flexibility is likely to be the most realistic solution.