Current situation
REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals)
Tens of thousands of industrial chemicals are currently on the market and used in our daily products without having been checked for potential effects on human health and on the environment. Now it is up to the policy makers to address the insufficient - and irresponsible - level of attention which has been given to chemicals. We cannot continue to conduct an "in vivo experiment with human health and nature", while observing that chemicals-related diseases are increasing.
Acknowledging the flaw of the existing chemicals legislation (see the 1998 evaluation report of the Commission), the European Commission adopted a White paper on the strategy for a future Chemicals Policy in February 2001 ( EEB comments ). It introduced the REACH (Registration Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) designed to ensure a " high level of protection of human health and the environment " following the Precautionary Principle .
The long debate that followed with the stakeholders and a powerful chemical industry lobby scaremongering with flawed figures about loss of competitiveness and jobs, resulted in a watering down of the white paper initiative in the Commission proposal presented in October 2003 ( EEB position ).
REACH is now being debated within the European Parliament and the Council of ministers. The European Parliament organised a joint hearing on REACH the 19 th of January 2005 and the discussion is now taking place within the Committees, three of which are working closely under an enhanced cooperation procedure (ENVI, ITRE, IMCO). In the Council of ministers, the competitiveness and the environment Council formations are collaborating thanks to the work of an ad-hoc working group on REACH.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is still leading different projects related with the implementation of the future chemical policy: the RIP (REACH Implementation Projects) and SPORT (Strategic partnership on the REACH testing) projects.
What is the EEB doing?
A unique alliance of Environmental, Women, Health, and Trade Union organisations to strengthen REACH through a chemicals campaign
Since June 1998 a Chemicals campaign was started in the EEB to contribute to the debate. An EEB Chemicals Working Group was set up with around 40 experts from most European countries with the aim of following the developments, and participating actively to ensure a high level of protection for the environment and human health under the future EU Chemicals Policy.
NGOs five key demands to strengthen REACH
The EEB, together with European Public Health Alliance Environment network, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Women in Europe for a Common Future, WWF, and many other, support five key demands which they would like to see reflected in the REACH. These are the following:
1. An authorisation for the use of 'chemicals of very high concern' should only be granted if no safer alternatives are available and the use is essential to society. We believe the substitution principle must be mandatory in this process.
2. Registration procedures must close the existing gap in safety information.
3. Industry information needs independent quality control.
4. Chemicals used in imported articles must have the same information requirements as those in EU-made articles.
5. There must be a public right to know and improved procedures on access to information throughout the supply chain.
PESTICIDES
There is currently an open call for action . The EEB is involved in the work done on Pesticides ( Commission report , EEB/PAN comments ).
POPS- Persistent organic pollutants
The EEB following closely the work done on POPs and on Mercury - see Zero Mercury campaign.
EDC- Endocrine disrupting Chemicals
The EEB is following the work on Endocrine Disrupting Substances ( Commission report , EEB comments )
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