* granting businesses new and excessive confidentiality rights,
with automatic anonymity to any company that registers its
chemicals;
* cutting back the duty to provide safety data for two-thirds of
all chemicals. This is a major reduction in the safety information
required for chemicals produced in quantities of less than 10
tonnes per year (around 20,000 of the 30,000 chemicals on the
market);
* excluding chemicals in consumer products from any effective
control;
* continuing to allow the use of hazardous chemicals even when
safer alternatives are available. Small changes to improve
substitution have been made, but a gaping loophole remains.
The organisations - BEUC (the European Consumers Association),
the European Environmental Bureau, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace
and WWF - call on the European Commission to stand up to Member
State interference and industry pressure and take the necessary
measures to protect European citizens, wildlife and the environment
from harmful chemicals. The organisations urge the European
Commission to reintroduce the necessary clauses.
Charlotte de Roo of BEUC, the European Consumers' Association,
stated: "Chemicals play a major part in everyday consumer products;
for example in clothes and cosmetics. Today we do not know what
influence these chemicals have on our health and our environment.
With this new text we won't know in the future either.
Unfortunately the Commission seems to be more occupied with
business interests than with consumer health and safety. It is
crucial that REACH covers all consumer products to ensure a sound
chemical legislation for the benefit of the citizens."
Stefan Scheuer from the European Environmental Bureau said: " An
internal Commission study puts occupational health benefits at up
to 54 billion Euro. Overall benefits have been estimated to reach
260 billion. The direct costs are very small in comparison: 3.6
billion Euro for registering 30,000 chemicals. This represents only
0.1% of the chemical industry's annual turnover. By trying to cut
these comparatively low costs even further, Enterprise Commissioner
Liikanen sacrifices protection of public health."
Friends of the Earth's Mary Taylor commented: " It is quite
possible that the new text is against the provisions of the
Commission's regulation on access to its own documents and the
Aarhus Convention, to which the European Community is a
signatory."
Michael Warhurst of WWF said: " WWF asks the European Commission
to table to a robust REACH law for the decision-makers to debate.
If the Commission does not have the courage to do so we will be
looking to the European Parliament to reinstate the necessary
provisions to protect humans and wildlife from harmful
chemicals."
Jorgo Iwasaki Riss of Greenpeace added: " The new text would
allow industry to continue using chemicals that accumulate in
breast milk, reduce fertility and cause allergies. Such chemicals
are currently used in children's toys and many other widespread
household goods. Instead of forcing industry to substitute
hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives the loophole in this
proposal encourages irresponsible business as usual."
In 1998 the EU identified the need to reform the existing
chemicals laws. In 2001 the European Commission published a White
Paper on a Future Chemicals Policy stating: " There is a general
lack of knowledge about the properties and the uses of existing
substances. The risk assessment process is slow and
resource-intensive and does not allow the system to work
efficiently and effectively. The allocation of responsibilities is
inappropriate because authorities are responsible for the
assessment instead of enterprises which produce, import or use the
substances ... Final risk assessments have ... only been completed
for a small number of substances.
The European Parliament and Council supported the Commission's
original proposals and requested strengthening provisions to
protect human health and the environment."
The Commission, after heavy industry pressure, launched in June
2003 an Internet consultation on a draft regulation. Currently the
Commission is finalising its proposal to be adopted on 29 October
2003.
Notes: For a full copy of the leaked report see http://www.chemicalreaction.org