Yvonne Eggert

Dissertation Topic
Data Sharing for Registration Purposes and the Impact of Perceived Intentions and Fairness Considerations


Brief Description
The doctoral thesis is concerned with the economic analysis of the European Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH). The purpose of REACH is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment. The burden of proof is placed upon manufacturers and importers of chemical substances. They must submit a registration to the European Chemical Agency (ECHA), if they manufacture or import in quantities of one tonne or more per year.

A fundamental aspect of REACH is the obligation to share data and to avoid unnecessary testing. Registrants of the same substance shall share existing information involving tests on vertebrate animals and may share other information for the purposes of registration. The costs of sharing the information shall be determined in a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory way.

The thesis focuses on the enhancement of data sharing agreements along with aspects of bargaining outcomes regarding the sharing of costs, and will provide assessments of the institutional mechanisms. It builds on theoretical models of bargaining that incorporate other-regarding preferences as well as perceived fairness and intentions. Furthermore, it is based on experimental results on bargaining outcomes under asymmetric information.