For reasons of public health, the European Parliament opposed, on Thursday 24 October, the European Commission's proposal to grant authorisation for the use of chromium trioxide, a carcinogenic chemical substance, to the company Cromomend SA and to others who have made the same request with it.
The objection was narrowly adopted (301 votes in favour, 295 against, 45 abstentions).
Since 2010, chromium trioxide has been included in the list of chemical substances of very high concern in the European REACH Regulation on the registration, evaluation and limited authorisation of chemicals, due to its classification as a carcinogen and mutagen. For the same reason, it has been included in Annex XIV to that Regulation since 2013.
With its vote, the European Parliament asks the Commission to review its copy to present a new draft authorisation limited to specifically defined uses for which there is no appropriate alternative, in full compliance with the REACH Regulation.
The many MEPs who voted against the objection, particularly in the EPP Group, considered that, in the absence of an alternative solution, a ban on this chemical in the EU would lead to the import of products containing it. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)