CSR

European chemical legislation provokes controversy

The new European chemicals legislation, REACH, has come into force across the EU, but has been accompanied by warnings from environmental groups that it contains flaws and loopholes, and is vulnerable to further weakening in the future.

REACH will require, over a period of 11 years, the registration of some 30,000 chemical substances currently in use. This will be co-ordinated by the new European Chemicals Agency. Günter Verheugen, European Commission vice president, said the new legislation will help "deliver improved health and environmental conditions while at the same time maintaining competitiveness and encouraging innovation".

However, in an open letter to the Commission, groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the World Wildlife Fund warned that it is too early to celebrate the new approach to chemicals regulation. Many key parts of REACH are yet to be decided on pending further reviews, and the environmental organisations cautioned that many chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive illnesses will still be allowed in manufacturing and consumer goods.

The letter calls on the Commission to ensure the reviews are used to strengthen the law, and the chemical industry does not use them to weaken current safety requirements. Without the strong support of the Commission, the letter warned, REACH will prove a failure.

The Chemical Industry Association also emphasised the importance of ensuring REACH works in practice, with its chief executive Steve Elliott saying: "For its own sake the industry must make REACH a success - its reputation and commercial viability relies on it and society demands it. That said, success will in large part also be determined by the approach taken by the EU member state governments and regulators whom we urge to implement REACH in a pragmatic and consistent manner."

July 2007