| Author (Person) | Carstens, Karen |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.36, 30.10.03, p23 |
| Publication Date | 30/10/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
|
By Karen Carstens Date: 30/10/03 ENVIRONMENT Commissioner Margot Wallström, and Erkki Liikanen, enterprise, yesterday (29 October) finally put forward a long-awaited and controversial EU chemicals policy proposal they have jointly crafted. The REACH system - to register, evaluate and authorize thousands of chemicals - was billed as the EU's “most important regulatory reform”.of 2003 - or possibly ever. Liikanen said it was “the biggest challenge the Commission has faced so far in implementing a sustainable development strategy”. “It's been a long and difficult road,”.he said, referring to the bitter battle between industry and green, health and consumer groups that pitted the two commissioners against each other. “It's been difficult for the Commission and it's been difficult for the stakeholders.” REACH will replace some 40 present directives and aims to redress a bizarre situation whereby existing EU legislation only requires industry to carry out rigorous tests on chemicals placed on the market after 1981. “Clearly the current system does not work,”.said Wallström. The Commission estimates REACH's costs to the chemicals industry, pared down after an online consultation that yielded some 6,500 responses, will be around €2.3 billion over an 11-year-period - an 82% reduction from the internet draft. Total maximum costs, including to downstream users, are put at €5.2 billion. Liikanen, who praised the EU's chemicals industry for providing 1.2 million jobs, said a comprehensive review would be undertaken in six years. Meanwhile, the Commission will set up “workshops”.with specific sectors of industry to test the workability of REACH. Wallström said the proposal was viable and satisfactory: “We are all happy,”.she insisted, adding that REACH is still based on the 'precautionary principle' - loved in Europe, loathed in the US. But several environmental, health and women's NGOs slammed the proposal as “a mere shadow”.of its former self. They argue that chemicals will continue to accumulate in our bodies and cause allergies coming from carpets, children's toys and other products. REACH does “not yet show the way out of using hazardous chemicals in everyday consumer goods”, they claimed. The ultimate fate of REACH now depends on its handling by the European Parliament and member states - and on the composition of the next Commission. Liikanen said REACH would probably make it through a first reading in the Parliament before the June 2004 elections. Meanwhile, a debate has unfurled over which set of ministers will get to tackle REACH, with the competitiveness and environment Councils both vying for the honour. The Italian EU presidency has suggested it go to the former, which appears clearly 'ahead' for now. But EU environment ministers want a piece of the action, too, and Italy's Altero Matteoli was reportedly overheard saying just that on the sidelines of their latest meeting in Luxembourg on Monday (27 October). The European Commission presented a proposal for a new EU regulatory framework for chemicals on 29 October 2003. |
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