| Author (Person) | Davies, Eric | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 17.11.03 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 17/11/2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On 29 October 2003, following widespread consultations on its February 2001 White Paper on a Strategy for a future Chemicals Policy, the European Commission issued a Proposal for a Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). If adopted, the Regulation will establish a European Chemicals Agency and will amend existing Directives to take account of the new legislation. The European Commissioner responsible for the environment, Margot Wallström, described the REACH Regulation as 'a groundbreaking proposal. Once adopted, it will allow us to take advantage of the benefits of chemicals without exposing ourselves and the environment to risks. Thus it will create a win-win situation for industry, workers and citizens, and our ecosystem. It will give Europe's citizens the high level of protection that they have the right to expect. The EU will have one of the most progressive chemicals management systems in the world.' The legislation will require some 30,000-100,000 chemical substances already in use to be tested, at an estimated cost to the chemicals industry of some €2.3 billion over 11 years, and of between €2.83.6 billion and €4.05.2 billion to 'downstream users'. Background Current EU legislation on chemicals distinguishes between those on the market in September 1981 - 'existing substances', which make up 99% of those currently available - and those introduced since that date - known as 'new substances'. These new substances are subject to Directive 67/548, which requires them to be tested and assessed for possible risks to human and environmental health. There are currently no similar requirements for existing chemical substances. The Summary of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's Twenty-fourth Report states that 'the manufacture and use of chemicals has created risks to the natural environment and human health, many of which are poorly characterised. There is a long history of serious environmental concerns associated with chemicals that were originally thought to be beneficial.' Lack of public confidence in chemicals and the chemical industry is one of the problems identified in a report by the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production Chemicals Policy Initiative, Integrated Chemicals Policy: Seeking New Direction in Chemicals Management. Other limitations of the current system are said to include:
The Commission's own justification for reforming chemicals legislation is that it is necessary to:
To address the shortcomings identified, the Commission has proposed a new system known by the acronym REACH: Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals. The main element of the new legislation (published as COM(2003)644) will be a Regulation on REACH, which amongst other things will establish a European Chemicals Agency and amend Directive 1999/45/EC. An associated draft Directive will amend Directive 67/548/EEC. The main elements of REACH are characterised by the Commission as:
Examples of substances which will be subject to authorisation are Those which are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMRs - categories 1 and 2), those which are persistent, bio-accumulative and toxic (PBTs), and those which are very persistent, very bio-accumulative (vPvBs). An additional category will also be subject to the RACH authorisation requirements: those substances identified as having 'serious and irreversible effects to humans and the environment equivalent to the other three categories' (e.g. certain endocrine disrupting substances). Existing chemical substances will be phased into the REACH system, with CMRs and chemicals produced in high volumes having to be registered first. They will have to be authorised from the third year after the Regulation enters into force; chemicals produced in quantities of 100-1,000 tonnes will have to comply from year 6; those in volumes of 1-100 tonnes, from year 11. There will be exemptions for 'non-isolated intermediates' (chemicals used to make other chemical substances, which are never separated from the mixture of other chemicals inside a chemical system), while isolated intermediates (substances which have been separated out from other substances) will have to be registered, but with simplified information requirements. Polymers will be exempt from registration and evaluation, although registration requirements might be introduced if a practicable and cost-effective way of identifying dangerous polymers is developed. The draft Regulation takes account of contributions to the Public Consultation on REACH received by the Commission following publication of its 2001 White Paper. The Commission's Extended Impact Assessment concludes that the proposals 'represent a balanced approach which will contribute to improved health for the citizens of the EU and greater protection of the environment; will bring added benefits to worker safety; will improve the conditions for innovation, by making it easier and cheaper to develop new and safer substances; and, also by limiting cost, will help to maintain the competitiveness of the chemicals industry.. The Commission believes that the proposal differs from the White Paper by now recognising the need for a cost-effective system based on:
The consultation process elicited over 6,000 contributions, 42% from industry and some 50% from individuals. Prior to publication of the Commission's proposal, the leaders of France, Germany and the UK wrote to Commission President Romano Prodi expressing their concerns about the new legislation (see Trilateral Letter on New EU Chemicals Strategy). The Commission's proposal must be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union under the co-decision procedure. At the Competitiveness Council (Internal Market, Industry and Research) meeting on 10 November, it was agreed that an ad hoc Working Party on Chemicals, empowered to 'examine the proposal in all its aspects', would be established within the Committee of Permanent Representatives (Coreper). The Italian Presidency asked Coreper to 'continue analysing this issue as a matter of priority in time for the next Competitiveness Council on 27 November 2003.. The Council meeting also heard from Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen that a conference on REACH had been organised for chemical stakeholders on 21 November 2003. Further information within European Sources Online
Further information can be seen in these external links: EU Institutions European Commission:
Governments, official bodies
Industry organisations
Environmental Organisations
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Eric Davies Background and reporting on the week's main stories in the European Union and the wider Europe. |
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