German chemical interests, represented by German politicians in the European Parliament, Council and Commission, blocked discussions at the final meeting to find a compromise on REACH before the Parliament's Second Reading of the law.
The German chemicals industry would like to turn REACH into a deregulation package, undermining existing safety standards for chemicals. It is using the German Chancellery to prevent an agreement now, confident that it can realise its demands to the maximum under the German presidency, which starts in January.
The German government already held REACH hostage in 2005, threatening to halt decisions in the Council of Ministers unless the proposal was diluted to reflect chemical industry demands to reduce requirements on health and safety data. Germany forced an extraordinary Council meeting at which these drastically diluted requirements were adopted.
The chemicals industry now wants a blank cheque for the unlimited use of very high concern chemicals that may cause cancer, birth defects, infertility and other serious illnesses - even when safer alternatives are available and already being used. It also wants to further weaken registration requirements agreed last year.
These aims are in direct opposition to the advice of medical associations, consumer groups and innovative businesses across Europe.
National industry interests come first
BASF and other large chemical producers are not the only beneficiaries of their government's readiness to put German business demands before the public interest on health and environment protection.
The German government is currently seeking major concessions under the Emissions Trading Scheme, demanding that new coal power plants in Germany are exempted from any obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions until after 2020.
German track record on abusing EU Presidency
Germany apparently has no qualms about breaking diplomatic practice to behave impartially and broke deals between Member States during its Presidency: when Germany held the EU Presidency in 1999, carmaker Volkswagen intervened directly with Chancellor Schroeder to unravel agreement on the End of Life Vehicles Directive in an attempt to oppose producer responsibility for the recycling of cars.
Even though the EU15 had reached political agreement on the Directive in 1998, Germany abused its presidency role to reopen negotiations and requested changes to reflect Volkswagen's demands.
This move was enabled by unusual delays in the European Parliament, where it took the rapporteur on the Directive over a year to deliver his report.
That rapporteur was MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz. He is now chair of the Parliament's Environment Committee, and one of the negotiators on REACH, present at yesterday's meeting.
Other contacts:
Jorgo Riss, Greenpeace European Unit, director, tel +32 (0)2 274 1907
Nadia Haiama, Greenpeace European Unit, chemical policy director, tel +32 (0)2 274 1913
Katharine Mill, Greenpeace European Unit, media officer, tel +32 (0)2 274 1903