US REACH-bashing gets short shrift from Congress

By Roger Falk

Date: 15/04/04

THE US government is under heavy criticism at home for its lobbying against the embattled EU chemicals' authorization plan, REACH.

A Congress report attacks the George W. Bush administration for joining forces with the US chemicals industry in a campaign to undermine REACH, which aims to bring chemical substances under control, shifting the burden to prove their safety onto manufacturers.

The plan has been criticized by Washington for threatening $20 billion worth of US exports to Europe.

The report, prepared for Democrat Henry Waxman and released this month, reveals controversial discussions between the US administration and the chemicals industry.

One enclosed email from an official of the US trade representative states: "We need to get to the Swedes and Finns and neutralize their environmental arguments." It goes on: "But who will take on [Environment Commissioner Margot] Wallstrom - the answer is only other ministers or heads of state. The United States government plans to send in our ambassadors to member states and the Commission to make our case."

The environment commissioner appears unimpressed. "REACH has been under heavy lobbyist pressure from all directions, the chemicals industry, NGOs and governments. The US government is just one of many," said Ewa Hedlund, Wallstrom's spokesperson.

Congressman Waxman requests a statement from President Bush that the US would not "undermine environmental protection in other nations".

"Every sovereign nation should be permitted to enact legitimate public health and environmental protections as they see fit," he said.

The American Chemistry Council, however, defends the Bush administration and claims that REACH "would subject the global chemicals industry to a confusing and unworkable scheme".

A large group of American NGOs also attacks the administration's lobbying against REACH, urging it to "stop using federal funds to undermine this important proposed legislation and seek ways to support progressive reform of chemicals policy that benefit public health".

A report by US Democrat Congressman Henry Waxman claims to show that the US Government, at the request of the US chemical industry, mounted a campaign to block the efforts of the European Union to require chemical companies to adequately assess the risks of chemicals that are sold in the marketplace. The report examines how the Bush Administration responded to efforts by the European Union to reduce the risks of chemical exposure.

• Primary Source

http://ec.europa.eu/comm/enterprise/chemicals/index_en.htm http://ec.europa.eu/comm/enterprise/chemicals/index_en.htm

http://www.house.gov/reform/min/inves_admin/admin_reach.htm http://www.house.gov/reform/min/inves_admin/admin_reach.htm

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