Firms bid to swap danger chemicals

Industry leaders have proved that it is possible to get rid of hazardous chemicals, environmentalist groups claim, as MEPs and ministers search for a deal on EU chemicals legislation REACH.

Disagreement over when companies should be obliged to substitute chemicals of high concern has split member states and the European Parliament. MEPs are insisting on mandatory substitution in almost all cases but governments remain opposed.

Two more meetings between the Parliament, Council of Ministers and European Commission are scheduled for 20 and 27 November, before a second December vote in Parliament.

But conservation group WWF has welcomed recent support for tough substitution rules from companies including construction company Skanska and UK retailer, Boots. Greenpeace, meanwhile, has drawn up a list of 37 companies, from Adidas to Sony Ericsson, who have already phased out many dangerous chemicals.

The companies showcased by the environmentalists are a small minority in the EU but Justin Wilkes of WWF said there were many more which apply substitution on a daily basis.

"What the Parliament is trying to do is introduce a level playing field so these companies can take the lead without being pulled back by the laggards," said Wilkes.

But employers’ representative UNICE said that industry should not be rushed into following the example set by a few.

"The work of companies is to innovate and find new products," said Nadine Toscani of UNICE. "The problem is that mandatory substitution and a strict timeline [five years under the Parliament vote] does not give companies the structure and time to adapt.

Industry leaders have proved that it is possible to get rid of hazardous chemicals, environmentalist groups claim, as MEPs and ministers search for a deal on EU chemicals legislation REACH.