Associated Press, May 31, 2007

REACH KICKS IN

[Rachel's introduction: New EU rules on the chemical industry enter into force but environmentalists complain that it's not enough]

BRUSSELS, Belgium: Far-reaching rules governing the multibillion-euro chemicals industry entered into force Friday, but environmentalists and consumer groups complained the legislation does not go far enough to protect human health.

The law bans some of the most dangerous chemicals from use in the 27- nation European Union. Some 30,000 other substances used in products ranging from detergents to toys will have to be registered in an EU database.

The law -- known as REACH, for Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals -- is a compromise balancing health and environmental concerns against fears that excessive red tape would stifle business. It puts the burden of proof on companies to show that industrial chemicals and substances used in everyday products are safe.

"The EU is providing itself with the most progressive chemicals legislation in the world," said EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

The database will be managed by a new EU chemicals agency, which opened Friday in Helsinki, Finland. The chemicals industry will pay for all the tests, while the EU will pay for running the agency.

Businesses are critical of the law, arguing the registration of products they make will cost up to €5.2 billion (US$7 billion) and involve excessive bureaucracy.

Environmentalists and consumers, on the other hand, are concerned that not enough chemicals will get tested, and that many high-concern chemicals may be allowed onto the market if producers can prove they can adequately control them.

"Thousands of chemicals will escape any requirement to provide sufficient health and safety information. And many chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive illness will still be allowed in manufacturing and consumer goods," said the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and other environmental organizations in a joint statement.

Some 13,000 substances deemed to pose some sort of health or safety risk will face automatic testing. But almost all tests will be waived for little-used chemicals of which only 1 to 10 metric tons are produced or imported into the EU annually.

REACH replaces some 40 different EU rules currently governing the use of chemicals in the EU. In the past, companies could sell almost any chemical without being required to provide detailed health and safety information.

The chemicals industry employs some 1.3 million people in 27,000 companies in the EU.