In Europe, major cosmetics, medicines and plastic producers are violating the REACH regulation (on the registration, evaluation and limited authorisation of chemical substances) with the use of millions of tonnes of chemicals without completing important safety checks, the European Environment Bureau (EEB) revealed on Tuesday 21 May.
One of its member organisations (BUND) was able to access a German government investigation into the 2014 chemical safety files, according to which 940 substances did not meet the REACH safety requirements. Obstacles to transparency have prevented BUND from verifying whether most of the chemicals concerned are still not currently in compliance. But 41 substance dossiers remained unchanged from 2014 to 13 April 2019, the date BUND completed its analysis, the EEB says.
654 companies are identified in these 41 cases and, according to the German government's investigation, the highest number of infringements were discovered in Germany (169). The United Kingdom (80), the Netherlands (68), France (56), Italy (49), Spain (42) and Belgium (38) follow, the EEB reported in a statement. All Member States except Malta and Latvia were involved.
Last October, the EEB already revealed that one third of the chemical substances on the EU market since 2010 are potentially dangerous to human health, which is in violation of the REACH regulation (see EUROPE 12116/5). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)