Verheugen sabotage-attempt to push polluter-friendly plan

1.7.2005
BRUSSELS [Greenpeace / FOE / ANCN]
Autor: Nadia Haiama-Neurohr, tel: +32 (0)476 961 376

Environment groups have criticised Europe's Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen after learning of plans to radically water down an already weak legislative proposal to protect human health and the environment from hazardous chemicals. Crucial safety data would be provided on just 6% of chemicals under the sabotage plan.

According to reliable sources, the Industry Commissioner has taken a highly unusual move in trying to force Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas to accept a major rolling back of the Commission's own proposed chemicals legislation, REACH [1], while it is still being discussed by the European Parliament and by member states within the Council of Ministers.

The UK government, whose presidency begins today, has declared that it wants to achieve a political agreement on the chemicals legislation within six months.

"Verheugen's attack turns the principle of REACH on its head. REACH should protect public health and the environment from widespread chemical pollution and force chemical producers to provide information on the substances they market. The chemicals industry hates this proposal because it will have to come clean on dirty chemicals. Verheugen is now making no secret of where he stands, as he tries to steer the debate at the start of the UK Presidency towards a polluter- friendly position," said Nadia Haiama-Neurohr of Greenpeace.

For 96% of chemicals on the market today, there is no or insufficient data available to assess their effects on human health or the environment.

The REACH proposal, adopted in October 2003, would require industry to provide safety data for all chemicals produced in volumes above one tonne per year. This represents just 30% of the 100,000 chemicals registered on the market in Europe. REACH does not demand sufficient safety data on low volume chemicals and large groups of chemicals such as polymers remain exempt. And it would not come into force fully for at least 11 years after implementation.

The DG Enterprise proposal proposes sparing chemical producers of the obligation to supply sufficient safety data on any chemical they produce in volumes up to a 100 tonnes a year, hereby excluding 25,000 chemicals out of the 30,000 chemicals that REACH was intended to address . It also supports postponing the start of the new rules by up to two years.

"This is not political negotiation, it is an act of vandalism. Registering tens of thousands of chemicals but without getting the crucial safety data will make a mockery of this legislation," said Mary Taylor of Friends of the Earth Europe.

"President Barroso has repeatedly insisted that he considers sustainable development a priority for the EU, and that he wants to promote environment and human health protection within the so-called Lisbon Strategy. If this heavy-handed attack on REACH were to succeed, it would prove that the narrow and short- sighted interests of the chemical industry are more relevant to the Commission than the quality of life of millions of European citizens," said Susana Fonseca from Portuguese environment group Quercus - ANCN.

NOTES TO EDITOR [1] REACH: Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals

CONTACT
Nadia Haiama-Neurohr, Greenpeace European Unit chemicals policy adviser, +32 (0)476 961 376 (in Brussels)
Mary Taylor, Friends of the Earth Europe Chemicals Campaigner, +44 (0) 77 66 71 19 52 (in London)
Susana Fonseca, Quercus - National Association for Nature Conservation, +351 936 603 683 (in Lisbon)

DISKUSE - KOMENTÁŘE: