*UPDATED with the vote of the European Parliament* On 13 December 2006, a plenary vote by Members of the European
Parliament led to the adoption of the new EU chemicals legislation REACH. However, according to health, environment, consumer and women’s advocacy groups, there are major loopholes in REACH which will still allow many chemicals that can cause serious health problems, to continue being used in manufacturing and consumer goods.
The new system is called REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals), and will regulate hazardous chemicals throughout the European Union.
Companies will have to provide safety data for large volume chemicals that are produced or imported into Europe, and persistent, bioaccumulative chemicals will have to be substituted if safer alternatives exist.
The system also allows the public to request information about the presence of a limited number of hazardous chemicals in products.
However, according to HEAL many chemicals that can cause cancer, birth defects and reproductive illnesses, will continue to be allowed to be used in everyday goods.
For more information please read the joint NGO press release and visit HEAL’s website.
The European Parliament and European Council decisions – 1st reading
On the 17 November 2005, the European Parliament adopted its opinion on the REACH dossier. According to The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), the Parliament took an important step towards using safer alternatives to dangerous chemicals but thousands of chemicals were exempt from having to prove their health safety.
For a more complete report on the vote, please read EEN article entitled “Parliament votes to phase out hazardous chemicals but allows huge knowledge gaps on safety”.
Despite the strong NGOs’ campaign, the Council of Ministers rejected the European Parliament’s requirement to substitute hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives on 13 December 2005. The door was left wide open for carcinogens, and toxic chemicals to be reproduced on the market, despite the fact that safer alternatives exist.
A strong NGO mobilisation to ensure a healthy REACH
Our sister organisation, The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) took the lead on this important legislative proposal.
They designed a model letter which they sent to MEPs with recommendations on amendments to support and a voting card (attached below).
Several HEAL members participated actively in the campaign for a stronger REACH. Women in Europe for a Common Future(WECF) has developed a website, which highlights the women concerns about REACH and chemicals.
ARTAC sent official letters to heads of states and governments on behalf of physicians and scientists to call for mandatory substitution principle within the authorization procedure and to establish an effective registration procedure.
During EPHA’s Conference on Future Europeans, HEAL held a workshop in the Committee of the Regions with youth delegates to discuss their concerns about chemicals and how the EU should respond. The recommendations from the youth delegates, sent to MEPs, are attached.
Doctors also voiced concerns on the REACH debate: The Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME – an EPHA member), together with ARTAC held a press conference in the European Parliament outlining their increasing concern about the lack of regulation of toxic chemicals and its relation to disease. The press pack and materials can be found at http://www.env-health.org/a/1885.
CPME’s position can be downloaded below.
Amongst other NGOs, the following actions must be pointed out:
– Friends of the Earth Europe left 100 garden gnomes in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg to instigate strong legislation for safer chemicals with the slogan [“Don’t dwarf
REACH”->http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/AK_15_Nov_reach.htm].
– The Chemical Reaction Organisation delivered to all MEPs printouts of pictures posted by more than 4500 citizens with a message to the MEPs demanding a strong REACH.
NGOs activities ahead of the final adoption of REACH
Following the last vote in which the European Council and the European Commission failed to support the EU Parliament on substitution, there were a total of 17,000 letters sent to the EU Commission to convince them of the need to add substitution to the law.
The Final reading of REACH took place on 13th November 2006.
The Chemical Reaction Organisation asked for 40,000 emails to be sent to parliamentarians in order to encourage the European Council to change their views.
New findings of potentially harmful synthetic chemicals in a wide array of food products have highlighted the need for tighter chemical regulation. Research which was carried out by WWF-UK on 27 every day food products revealed PCBs to be present in all 27 samples; brominated flame retardants in 19, samples and DDT in 16 of the samples.
WWF-UK have serious concerns about the possible long-term effect of low-level exposure to chemicals through diet. This report further underlines the need for the European Council and European Parliament to vote in favour of the inclusion of substitution in the law.
If you would like to support Chemical Reaction’s campaign for a toxic-free Europe, you can do so by following the simple steps on their website.