| Author (Person) | Carstens, Karen |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.35, 23.10.03, p37 |
| Publication Date | 23/10/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
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By Karen Carstens Date: 23/10/03 THE EU's two-years-in-the-making chemicals policy overhaul is about to be unveiled, and no one seems too pleased about it, except the officials who crafted it. US Secretary of Commerce Don Evans, for one, has already come down against the draft legislation - without even seeing the latest revisions. Speaking in Brussels, he said: "This would be a serious blow to the chemicals industry." The European Commission last month watered down the REACH system to register, evaluate and authorize thousands of chemicals, amid mounting pressure from industry and member states including Germany, the UK and France. The revised draft legislation, jointly drawn up by DG Environment and DG Enterprise, is due to be launched next Wednesday (29 October). The changes will not assuage US fears of over-regulation for the global chemicals industry. Registration requirements have been dropped for polymers, meaning the 30,000 chemicals initially affected could be nearly halved. While welcoming such changes, the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has demanded a full, independent impact assessment spanning some two to four months before the proposal is sent for its first reading at the European Parliament. A new Greenpeace report highlights claims by scientists that a chemical called nonylphenol - thought to interfere with DNA and affect sperm production in mammals - is used in Disney-branded pyjamas and in a Bob the Builder garment sold by Mothercare. "It's time for the chemical industry to stop polluting children's bodies," said Greenpeace campaigner Mark Strutt. The REACH proposal requires most chemicals produced above a certain threshold to be registered, while substances of high concern would be evaluated for their effect on health and the environment. Existing EU legislation only requires industry to reveal data about chemicals already on the market before 1981. |
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