Control Engineering
November 29, 2005

EU OVERREACHING WITH REACH APPROVAL

Arlington, VA -- The American Chemistry Council (ACC) is dismayed by
the European Union (EU) Parliament vote to approve the Registration,
Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (Reach) proposal. Although
the Parliament addressed some of the grave, global concerns with the
European Commission's proposal, the revised Reach scheme would not
provide the health and environmental benefits envisioned by consumers
in Europe and around the world.

ACC welcomed Parliament's amendments that would make the registration
process more streamlined and workable. However, ACC is confounded over
Parliament's rejection of a risk-based, scientific approach to safe
chemicals management. For example, the authorization section of Reach
would require the substitution of some chemical products even if they
are safe for use.

"If enacted, manufacturers and consumer product companies from Boston
to Bombay that use essential chemical products would be impacted by
this misguided scheme," stated ACC president and CEO Jack N. Gerard.
He added, "We will continue to advocate a common sense approach to
managing chemicals that focuses on ensuring safety rather than
substituting essential products."

ACC supports the objectives of Reach -- protecting human health and
the environment and increasing confidence in the EU's chemical
regulatory system -- but the approved Reach proposal remains
unworkable, impractical and unsuited to provide anticipated health and
environmental benefits. Additionally, over 30 governments in the World
Trade Organization have raised concerns about the trade and
competitive impacts of Reach.

The U.S. chemical industry continues to invest heavily in the
application of improved technologies to ensure the safe production and
use of essential chemical products. ACC encourages EU officials to
focus on advancing innovation in chemical use and management rather
than choosing "winners" and "losers" among chemical products.