Seven European environment ministers have asked the European Commissioner for the Environment, Jessika Roswall, to ban exports of dangerous substances banned in the EU, in a joint letter sent on Wednesday 11 December.
Denmark, Austria, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden have relaunched discussions already held at the October Environment Council, as part of the forthcoming revision of the REACH regulation (see EUROPE 13503/9). On 14 October, Spain and Belgium also defended this position, with the EU running the risk of seeing these substances return to its territory, incorporated into products that are dangerous to the health of its citizens and its environment. In their view, this “double standard” could also lead to unfair competition for European industry. In response to this, a call was made for REACH to be simplified and for a roadmap to be drawn up.
In the letter, the seven environment ministers remind Ms Roswall that the Council of the EU had already supported this from 2021 in its conclusions on the European Commission’s ‘Sustainable Chemicals Strategy’. The pressure is on the Commission, which is piling up the delays on the Chemical Strategy, according to these countries, having “not yet published the results of the public consultation, initially scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023, nor presented a proposal”.
As the aim of the chemicals strategy is to assume international leadership, the seven environment ministers “urge the Commission to maintain a high level of ambition”. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)