MEPs speaking on the proposed construction products regulation seemed to be divided on the environmental aspects during an exchange in the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), on Wednesday 15 June.
Rapporteur Christian Doleschal (EPP, Germany), for example, welcomed the European Commission’s ambitions, but questioned the possible bureaucratic burden of environmental and sustainability standards on SMEs.
Regulating all sustainability requirements for construction products in a single regulation would lead to over-regulation, which would slow down innovation, he said in a press release on the day the initiative was presented by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12922/3).
On the contrary, Maria Grapini (S&D, Romania) and Claude Gruffat (Greens/EFA, France) supported a strong position on the environmental issue. Although the former emphasised the key role of SMEs, she stressed the importance of supporting the circular economy. Mr Gruffat focused his speech entirely on the environmental and climate dimension of the text.
He openly criticised the rapporteur’s position, saying that, as a former company director, regulation is precisely the source of innovation. Furthermore, he expressed concern about the lack of a timetable for the development of environmental requirements, the lack of a limit for embodied carbon and the lack of consideration for bio-based materials.
Other points raised included the issue of market surveillance, which is uneven between Member States and generates widespread distrust, as Mrs Grapini pointed out, and the subsequent issue of monitoring products imported from third countries.
However, several shadow rapporteurs were still missing, including those from the far-right group Identity and Democracy, the conservative group ECR and the radical left-wing group The Left.
Conflict with the Committee on the Environment
In addition, the MEP Claude Gruffat cited a conflict of competence on this issue between the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) and the Committee on the Environment and Public Health (ENVI).
The information was confirmed by several sources. For the time being, the dossier is delayed, as the conflict with the ENVI committee on the three dossiers of the circular economy package is not yet resolved.
On the EU Council side, work has already started and two working meetings have been held, said the European Commission representative. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)