US, Others Press EU to Re-Think Chemicals Bill
Date: 09-Jun-06
Country: LUXEMBOURG
The United States, long a critic of the EU's Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) bill, said in a joint statement with the other countries that they were concerned the rules would hurt trade and be hard to implement.
The law requires properties of roughly 30,000 chemicals produced or imported in the EU to be registered with a central agency. Those of highest concern, like carcinogens, would require testing and authorisation to be used.
"Trading partners uniformly agreed that modifications reducing the potentially disruptive impact of REACH on international trade and improving its workability would improve the legislation," the statement, issued after a meeting of ambassadors and officials, said.
Brazil, Chile, India, Israel, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand were also listed on the statement.
EU ministers approved a version of REACH last December, shortly after the European Parliament backed a version of its own. The law was designed to protect people and the environment from the adverse effects of chemicals found in a wide range of products like paint, detergents, cars and computers.
The bill is slated to go through a second reading in parliament later this year and then differences between lawmakers and member states will have to be thrashed out.
In the statement the countries urged the EU to address their concerns during this next phase of the legislative process.
One major sticking point is likely to be the authorisation phase. Parliament approved a measure that would require companies to substitute safe substances for dangerous ones when alternatives are available. The ministers' version does not include mandatory substitution.