The EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, proposed by the European Commission last October as a first step towards the ambition of ‘zero pollution’, should not only protect health and the environment, but also aim for a high level of protection, according to draft EU Council conclusions dated 2-3 February, as seen by EUROPE.
Conceived by the Portuguese Presidency, this 15-page text was submitted to the EU Council’s ‘Environment’ working party, which met throughout the day on Friday 5 February. It fully endorses this strategy, while fleshing it out and stressing the urgency of its implementation (see EUROPE 12635/6, EUROPE 12581/6).
It welcomes this strategy, which sets out a long-term vision for achieving a high level of protection of human health and the environment, while helping to strengthen the competitiveness of EU industry through the production and use of safe and sustainable chemical substances.
The text supports the pursued objectives: – innovating for safe and sustainable chemical substances in the EU; – strengthening the EU legal framework to address urgent environmental and health concerns; – simplifying and consolidating the legal framework; – having a comprehensive knowledge base on chemical substances; and – setting an example for sound global chemical substances management. There is also full support for the stated actions.
The Commission and the Member States are requested to fully implement this strategy without undue delay and in accordance with the precautionary and preventive principles.
The Council of the EU recognises that, in order to ensure a higher level of protection of health and the environment, it will be necessary to take into account sources and routes of exposure other than chemical substances placed on the market and unintentional emissions to air, water and soil from mixtures, materials and products during their production, use and waste phase. An integrated approach will be required, notably in the ‘zero pollution’ action plan, to tackle all these exposure pathways at the same time, more specifically.
The project underlines the importance of phasing out hazardous substances in recycled products and materials, while recognising that derogations may be necessary for clearly defined applications, on the basis of a case-by-case analysis and provided that risks to health and the environment are properly controlled and communicated.
It stresses the importance of the concept of safety and sustainability from the design stage, as part of a life-cycle approach to products—from raw materials used to waste—a concept relevant to the achievement of the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (including sound chemicals and waste management) and a circular and clean economy, according to the draft conclusions.
With regard to the legislative framework, the text stresses the need for simplification, the quest for greater coherence between policies and this legislative framework, but also the importance of creating greater predictability and transparency, while improving the level of protection of human health and the environment.
In this respect, it calls for the application of the ‘no data no market’ principle and zero tolerance in case of non-compliance. The European Commission is invited to present without delay a roadmap for the reform of the registration, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances procedures of the REACH regulation.
As regards research, the text stresses the importance of providing the agencies with adequate resources, in particular the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
It stresses that research and strengthening the interface between science and policy are extremely important for achieving the objectives of the Strategy and welcomes the establishment of an EU early warning and action system.
The draft conclusions also underline the importance of an EU-wide centre of excellence for risk assessment related to research and innovation in the framework of the future Horizon Europe Partnership for Risk Assessment of Chemicals (PARC)—to help risk management authorities in the EU and Member States to address current, emerging and new challenges. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)