| Author (Person) | McLauchlin, Anna |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.11, No.36, 13.10.05 |
| Publication Date | 13/10/2005 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 13/10/05 European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallström has accused her colleagues of breaching collegiality and undermining the Commission's proposal on chemicals regulation REACH. In a strongly worded letter to Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Wallström complained of "deep concern" about recent developments in "this highly political file". Wallström's chief complaint is that a working document on REACH, known as a 'room paper', was being used as the Commission's negotiation position even though it had not been discussed by the full College of commissioners. The paper was presented to a Council of Ministers working group on REACH on 19 September and has been referred to in subsequent documents as the Commission's position. "The College has not had the opportunity to discuss this highly sensitive dossier in greater detail and there has never been a formal decision on a revised Commission proposal," Wallström wrote in the letter, copies of which were sent to all other commissioners. "Every time the issue has come up, we all agreed that the Commission should wait until the first reading vote in the Parliament before putting forward any new position," she wrote. The Swedish commissioner does not level accusations at any of her colleagues by name, but she does demand to be provided with the briefing material and speaking notes of those who were to attend the meeting of competitiveness ministers on Tuesday (11 October), i.e. Günter Verheugen (industry), and Stavros Dimas (environment). The REACH dossier will be discussed by EU environment ministers on Monday (17 October). Wallström, who as environment commissioner in 1999-2004 was deeply involved in the pre-paration of the REACH proposal, accuses her colleagues of watering it down unnecessarily. She complains that the Commission has stepped outside its primary duty as a "facilitator" by introducing a different approach from the one currently being discussed under the UK presidency on the basis of the Commission's original proposal. "I cannot see any good reason why the Commission should be lowering its stance and ambition by positioning itself below the compromise on offer by the UK presidency," she wrote. The room paper is in line with the more pro-business approach being backed by Parliament's internal market and industry committee, which reduces the burden on industry when registering chemicals. At a meeting of commissioners' heads of cabinet on Monday (10 October), the representatives of Verheugen and Dimas briefed their counterparts on the state of discussions in the Parliament and the Council. Wallström's representative complained about the management of the dossier. The meeting agreed "that the position of the Commission had not changed (but there had been contacts with the Parliament and the Council) and noted that the political line to take on the dossier would be the subject of a debate in the Commission, probably on 25 October". Barroso's head of cabinet João Vale de Almeida applauded the common approach taken on the dossier by Verheugen and Dimas. According to one official, some cabinet members supported Wall-ström's position. "If you were determined to be cynical, you could say that the German industry commissioner [Verheugen] has given in to the German chemical industry and that this paper was introduced as a manoeuvre to sell its ideas," said one highly placed Commission official. "But I don't think that is the case here. It's common practice to issue non-papers and it certainly doesn't mean that it is the Commis-sion's proposal." The official pointed out that MEPs might yet back a lighter touch proposal in the plenary session on 15-16 November. Others said that Wallström was simply trying to ensure that the proposal went her way. "In no way does that paper reflect Commission thinking," said another official. "And for Wallström to imply otherwise can only be an ulterior motive on her part." Article reports on a dispute between European Commissioners on the European Commission's formal position in negotiations on the proposed legislation on chemicals (REACH). The dossier was to be discussed by EU Environment Ministers at a Council meeting in Luxembourg, 17 October 2005. |
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| Source Link | http://www.european-voice.com/ |
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| Subject Categories | Business and Industry |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
