International Herald Tribune
December 13, 2005

EU COMPROMISE ON CHEMICAL BILL

[Rachel's introduction: This week, Europe's precautionary chemicals policy, called REACH, took another important step toward becoming law, but it got watered down further along the way, demonstrating the enormous unaccountable power of the chemical industry worldwide. Can elected national governments control corporations? That's what's at stake here.]

By Thomas Fuller

PARIS -- European Union governments on Tuesday unanimously approved a compromise version of a wide-ranging but controversial bill that sets safety standards for the chemicals industry.

The so-called Reach bill still needs a second approval from the European Parliament and formal agreement among the EU's 25 member states, but officials said that most of the major hurdles for the legislation, which the European Commission proposed two years ago, had been surmounted.

Ecologists criticized the governments for stripping out what they called key provisions of the bill, more formally known as Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals.

Organizations representing the business community said they would lobby to have some provisions changed before the bill takes effect, possibly in spring 2007.

The Reach system would replace a patchwork of laws regulating the chemical industry and would create a European database of chemicals and rate their safety.

The law would require companies to gather information on chemicals they import or produce in volumes of over one ton per year and submit them to a new European Chemicals Agency, which will be based in Helsinki.

Any company that does not register their chemicals will be banned from manufacturing or importing them into the European Union. Chemicals that are considered dangerous will require testing and authorization in order to be used.

The European Commission estimates that 30,000 different chemicals are produced in quantities of one ton or more a year.

The commission said the agreement struck a balance by protecting citizens and the environment without placing onerous restrictions on the chemicals industry, which employs about 3.2 million people in the EU.

"This is the kind of legislation which will not satisfy either side, and because it does not satisfy either side it is a good compromise," said Barbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for the European Commission's environment directorate.

But among lobbyists in Brussels, representatives of the industry seemed to be happier about the bill than ecologists.

Maria Fernanda Fau, a spokeswoman for Unice, the main business lobby in Brussels, called the decision Tuesday a "reasonable political agreement."

The European Chemical Industry Council said the accord was "another step forward in the process leading to workable and effective legislation."

By contrast, Caroline Lucas, a British member of the European Parliament from the Green Party, said governments had "made a big Christmas present to the chemical industry."

The version of the bill agreed upon Tuesday, she said, does not make it mandatory for businesses to use a safer alternative, wherever possible, to a potentially dangerous chemical, but instead requires businesses to "assess" an alternative.

"This is very bad decision making at the expense of human health and the environment," Lucas said.

On a political level, the agreement Tuesday was a victory for Britain, which was eager to build up a list of achievements during its six- month presidency of the EU, which ends this month.

PARIS European Union governments on Tuesday unanimously approved a compromise version of a wide-ranging but controversial bill that sets safety standards for the chemicals industry.

The so-called Reach bill still needs a second approval from the European Parliament and formal agreement among the EU's 25 member states, but officials said that most of the major hurdles for the legislation, which the European Commission proposed two years ago, had been surmounted.

Ecologists criticized the governments for stripping out what they called key provisions of the bill, more formally known as Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals.

Organizations representing the business community said they would lobby to have some provisions changed before the bill takes effect, possibly in spring 2007.

The Reach system would replace a patchwork of laws regulating the chemical industry and would create a European database of chemicals and rate their safety.

The law would require companies to gather information on chemicals they import or produce in volumes of over one ton per year and submit them to a new European Chemicals Agency, which will be based in Helsinki.

Any company that does not register their chemicals will be banned from manufacturing or importing them into the European Union. Chemicals that are considered dangerous will require testing and authorization in order to be used.

The European Commission estimates that 30,000 different chemicals are produced in quantities of one ton or more a year.

The commission said the agreement struck a balance by protecting citizens and the environment without placing onerous restrictions on the chemicals industry, which employs about 3.2 million people in the EU.

"This is the kind of legislation which will not satisfy either side, and because it does not satisfy either side it is a good compromise," said Barbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for the European Commission's environment directorate.

But among lobbyists in Brussels, representatives of the industry seemed to be happier about the bill than ecologists.

Maria Fernanda Fau, a spokeswoman for Unice, the main business lobby in Brussels, called the decision Tuesday a "reasonable political agreement."

The European Chemical Industry Council said the accord was "another step forward in the process leading to workable and effective legislation."

By contrast, Caroline Lucas, a British member of the European Parliament from the Green Party, said governments had "made a big Christmas present to the chemical industry."

The version of the bill agreed upon Tuesday, she said, does not make it mandatory for businesses to use a safer alternative, wherever possible, to a potentially dangerous chemical, but instead requires businesses to "assess" an alternative.

"This is very bad decision making at the expense of human health and the environment," Lucas said.

On a political level, the agreement Tuesday was a victory for Britain, which was eager to build up a list of achievements during its six- month presidency of the EU, which ends this month.

PARIS European Union governments on Tuesday unanimously approved a compromise version of a wide-ranging but controversial bill that sets safety standards for the chemicals industry.

The so-called Reach bill still needs a second approval from the European Parliament and formal agreement among the EU's 25 member states, but officials said that most of the major hurdles for the legislation, which the European Commission proposed two years ago, had been surmounted.

Ecologists criticized the governments for stripping out what they called key provisions of the bill, more formally known as Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals.

Organizations representing the business community said they would lobby to have some provisions changed before the bill takes effect, possibly in spring 2007.

The Reach system would replace a patchwork of laws regulating the chemical industry and would create a European database of chemicals and rate their safety.

The law would require companies to gather information on chemicals they import or produce in volumes of over one ton per year and submit them to a new European Chemicals Agency, which will be based in Helsinki.

Any company that does not register their chemicals will be banned from manufacturing or importing them into the European Union. Chemicals that are considered dangerous will require testing and authorization in order to be used.

The European Commission estimates that 30,000 different chemicals are produced in quantities of one ton or more a year.

The commission said the agreement struck a balance by protecting citizens and the environment without placing onerous restrictions on the chemicals industry, which employs about 3.2 million people in the EU.

"This is the kind of legislation which will not satisfy either side, and because it does not satisfy either side it is a good compromise," said Barbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for the European Commission's environment directorate.

But among lobbyists in Brussels, representatives of the industry seemed to be happier about the bill than ecologists.

Maria Fernanda Fau, a spokeswoman for Unice, the main business lobby in Brussels, called the decision Tuesday a "reasonable political agreement."

The European Chemical Industry Council said the accord was "another step forward in the process leading to workable and effective legislation."

By contrast, Caroline Lucas, a British member of the European Parliament from the Green Party, said governments had "made a big Christmas present to the chemical industry."

The version of the bill agreed upon Tuesday, she said, does not make it mandatory for businesses to use a safer alternative, wherever possible, to a potentially dangerous chemical, but instead requires businesses to "assess" an alternative.

"This is very bad decision making at the expense of human health and the environment," Lucas said.

On a political level, the agreement Tuesday was a victory for Britain, which was eager to build up a list of achievements during its six- month presidency of the EU, which ends this month.

PARIS European Union governments on Tuesday unanimously approved a compromise version of a wide-ranging but controversial bill that sets safety standards for the chemicals industry.

The so-called Reach bill still needs a second approval from the European Parliament and formal agreement among the EU's 25 member states, but officials said that most of the major hurdles for the legislation, which the European Commission proposed two years ago, had been surmounted.

Ecologists criticized the governments for stripping out what they called key provisions of the bill, more formally known as Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals.

Organizations representing the business community said they would lobby to have some provisions changed before the bill takes effect, possibly in spring 2007.

The Reach system would replace a patchwork of laws regulating the chemical industry and would create a European database of chemicals and rate their safety.

The law would require companies to gather information on chemicals they import or produce in volumes of over one ton per year and submit them to a new European Chemicals Agency, which will be based in Helsinki.

Any company that does not register their chemicals will be banned from manufacturing or importing them into the European Union. Chemicals that are considered dangerous will require testing and authorization in order to be used.

The European Commission estimates that 30,000 different chemicals are produced in quantities of one ton or more a year.

The commission said the agreement struck a balance by protecting citizens and the environment without placing onerous restrictions on the chemicals industry, which employs about 3.2 million people in the EU.

"This is the kind of legislation which will not satisfy either side, and because it does not satisfy either side it is a good compromise," said Barbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for the European Commission's environment directorate.

But among lobbyists in Brussels, representatives of the industry seemed to be happier about the bill than ecologists.

Maria Fernanda Fau, a spokeswoman for Unice, the main business lobby in Brussels, called the decision Tuesday a "reasonable political agreement."

The European Chemical Industry Council said the accord was "another step forward in the process leading to workable and effective legislation."

By contrast, Caroline Lucas, a British member of the European Parliament from the Green Party, said governments had "made a big Christmas present to the chemical industry."

The version of the bill agreed upon Tuesday, she said, does not make it mandatory for businesses to use a safer alternative, wherever possible, to a potentially dangerous chemical, but instead requires businesses to "assess" an alternative.

"This is very bad decision making at the expense of human health and the environment," Lucas said.

On a political level, the agreement Tuesday was a victory for Britain, which was eager to build up a list of achievements during its six- month presidency of the EU, which ends this month.

Copyright 2005 the International Herald Tribune