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On 27 June the European Council in Luxembourg formally adopted its common position on the REACH regulation on registration, assessment and limited authorisation of chemical products in the EU. This decision was reached without debate and is much more than just a formality. By making the political agreement formal during the Competitiveness Council in December (EUROPE 9088 and 9093), it concludes a decisive phase in the decision-making process on the most complex text ever examined by the EU and therefore opens the way up to the second reading at the Parliament planned for this autumn.
On the most controversial point in this legislation, the authorisation procedure for the most hazardous substances - the Council decided to authorise the extended use of these substances as long as they as subject to “adequate controls” and that replacing these most worrying substances is encouraged through the use of less harmful solutions. The principle of substitution will therefore not be binding.
For this reason, environmental NGOs, consumer and health groups (EEB, EEN, Eurocoop, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, WECF and the WWF) underline in a joint press release that REACH as it stands does not protect citizens and the environment against toxic chemical products. The NGOs deplore the fact that, “The Council Common Position fails to take account of the European Parliament's First reading position to substitute hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives, whenever possible. It would allow carcinogens, chemicals that are toxic to reproduction (e.g. the phthalate DEHP) and hormone-disrupting substances (e.g. bethanol) to stay on the market, even if safer alternatives exist”. They believe that this “loophole represents little change from the current, flawed system, which has failed to control the most dangerous chemicals and hinders sage, innovative products from entering the market”. The NGOs also call on Parliament to reaffirm its position during the second reading on REACH.
Source: Agence Europe
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