REACH plans set for year-long delay

Date: 08/05/03

By Karen Carstens

ENVIRONMENT Commissioner Margot Wallström and enterprise counterpart Erkki Liikanen yesterday (7 May) put forward revised plans for REACH, the EU's new system to register, evaluate and authorise chemicals.

They also presented a joint "orientation" paper and announced that a final online consultation period over the proposed new chemicals regulation has been extended from five to eight weeks. It is due to be posted on the internet by 14 May at the latest.

The commissioners had previously indicated that the draft regulation, which brings together elements of some 60 directives and is the most radical overhaul of EU chemicals policy ever, would be put forward by late July.

But by extending the internet consultation period, the Commission could be stalling the whole process by at least another year.

It means MEPs will not discuss the plans until the autumn and the June 2004 European Parliament elections could further delay the process.

Several green groups and deputies grumbled that the college of commissioners at their weekly Wednesday gathering merely "took note" of the orientation paper, instead of "endorsing" it. But one Commission official dismissed this, pointing out this was "normal procedure".

He also said fears of third countries about REACH spawning trade wars were exaggerated, as multiple steps would be required to prove that harmful substances were escaping from, for example, a television set from Japan or a computer from the United States.

As for who would test such articles, a new EU chemicals agency - initially based in Ispra, Italy, along with the Commission's Joint Research Centre - would provide "guidelines", he added.

Liikanen said the Commission now estimates REACH will cost around €4 billion to implement until 2020.

He also said that polymers - chemicals used as raw materials in plastics and several other products - would not be affected until an initial 11-year phase-in period had been completed.

• Consumer groups and environmentalists have joined forces in calling for new laws to protect householders from a "poisonous cocktail" of chemical products in their homes.

A report by three groups, Greenpeace, the European Consumers Organisation and the European Public Health Association, states homes are contaminated by hidden toxic chemicals in everyday consumer products, such as TVs, textiles, cosmetics and toys.

But manufacturers insist the chemicals are bound into products and present no undue risk to human health.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström and enterprise counterpart Erkki Liikanen have put forward revised plans for REACH, the EU's new system to register, evaluate and authorise chemicals, 7 May 2003.