Chemický průmysle - zastav rozbíjení REACH

10. 11. 2005 -, Friends of the Earth Europe

Organizace Friends of the Earth Europe (Přátelé Země Evropa) dnes zveřejnila novou zprávu nazvanou "Zisk nad zdraví i životní prostředí - jak chemický průmysl podkopává evropskou chemickou legislativu ("Profits before health and environment: how the chemical industry is undermining European chemical legislation").

Prave v tomto obdobi se rozhoduje o podobne navrhu reformy chemicke politiky EU (REACH), ktery ma pristi tyden projednavat Evropsky parlament. Studie porovnana v klicovych parametrech REACH oficialni postoje vyznamnych evropskych firem chemickeho prumyslu a jejich lobbystickeho sdruzeni (CEFIC) s aktivitami jednotlivych clenu nebo celeho sdruzeni a s poznatky a stanovisky nezavislych expertu.

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Chemicals Industry - stop wrecking REACH
Report reveals misleading and unsubstantiated statements by chemical industry

Brussels, 10 November 2005 - The European chemical industry has been progressively weakening the European Chemicals Reform (REACH), contrary to its publicly voiced support for the legislative proposal according to a report released today by Friends of the Earth Europe.

The study entitled "Profits before health and environment: how the chemical industry is undermining European chemical legislation" reveals that CEFIC - the European Chemical Industry Council - and its members are more than happy to sacrifice the protection of human health and the environment for the sake of financial benefits, despite claiming that they are committed to transparency, sustainability and consumer care.

Based on a survey of 31 CEFIC corporate members on their attitudes towards REACH-related issues - such as substitution and phasing out of chemicals of very high concern or consumers' right to know about chemicals in products they purchase - the report concludes that the public statements made by industry are misleading, to say the least.

Despite commitments to transparency, hardly any company answered questions on consumers' right to information or which risky chemicals they produce or use. Many CEFIC members said they were unwilling to phase out chemicals "of very high concern", or substitute them with safer alternatives. This stands in direct contradiction to claims about sustainability and product stewardship. The companies are equally reluctant to provide basic safety information on substances they produce.

The Chemical industry has also grossly exaggerated its inability to pay for REACH, in disregard of the legislation's potential health and environmental benefits, according to the study. The cost of regulation, which amounts to a mere 0.05% of the sector's annual sales, stands in stark contrast to the sector's self-congratulatory statements about high profits. Most companies presented excellent figures for 2004 with BP reporting record financial results, Bayer exceeding its targets for sales and earnings, DuPont reporting its fastest annual growth in recent years and BASF earning a premium.

The report, released a week before the crucial vote on REACH by the European Parliament, discloses that Members of the European Parliament have been subject to intense lobbying from CEFIC and its members.

"The industry has been pushing parliamentarians to weaken REACH almost to the point of destruction. It is alarming and saddening to see members of the European Parliament giving in to demands of big corporations and ignoring public health and the environment" said Paul de Clerck, Friends of the Earth Europe Corporate Accountability Campaigner.

Environmental, health, and consumer NGOs are urging MEPs to strengthen REACH in the plenary vote by supporting
* controls on, and replacement of, the most hazardous chemicals at authorization and substitution phase,
* provision of basic safety information for all chemicals at registration phase and
* the right to know for consumers and retailers.

This is the only way REACH can fulfill its aim of protecting human health and the environment while maintaining the competitiveness of European industry, the environmental campaign group said.

The report can be downloaded at: http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2005/chemical_industry.pdf

Contact:
Paul de Clerck, Corporate Accountability Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe, paul@milieudefensie.nl; tel. +32 (0) 473510147 (mobile) or +32 (0)2 5420180
Aleksandra Kordecka, Chemicals Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Europe, aleksandra.kordecka@foeeurope.org, tel. +32 (0) 2 542 61 08; mob. +32 498 505 165

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.

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