Brussels, 15/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - The fears expressed by the European industry that the future Union policy on chemical products could harm the industry's competitiveness, and the European Commission's determination to find a fair balance between the demands of environmental and health protection, and economic considerations, were clearly expressed on Tuesday during a hearing at the European Parliament on chemical products policy. Organised at the initiative of MEP Karl Heinz-Florenz (German Christian Democrat), the conference brought together over 300 persons - experts and representatives of the European chemical industry, MEPs of every political horizon, Hans Christian Schmidt, Danish Environment Minister who presides the EU Council, and the Directors General of Industry and the Environment at the European Commission. The very wide range of participants at this consulting exercise confirms the importance of this subject for which Commission proposals are expected, probably in spring 2003, to the great displeasure of environmental and public health defence NGOs who denounce the industry's lobbying to delay the presentation of a legislation initially expected before the end of this year (see EUROPE of 30 October, p.13).
We recall that the future legislation, announced in the White Paper of February 2001, is to establish a single registration, evaluation and authorisation system for chemical substances produced before and after 1981, with a view to gradually eliminating the most dangerous among them by 2020. The intervention by representatives from the industry showed that the industry mainly fears the quantity of chemical substances to be scientifically evaluated exceeds available possibilities and entails considerable cost at the risk of compromising competitiveness and the industry's capacity for innovation. The representatives of the industry and the environmental defence organisations diverge over the kind of process to which the substances to be assessed should be submitted, the industry considering that the tests must cover the effective as well as potential risks of the products, and not exclusively the properties of substances.
"The aim of the chemical products policy must be clear: to guarantee a high level of protection for the environment and consumers. On this point, there can be no compromise", says Mr Florenz. In his view, however, this does not mean that chemical substances whose annual production is less than one tonne and which, furthermore, remain in the workshops to be processed, must be assessed with the same degree of priority as final consumer products - unless completely useless bureaucracy is set up for the aim pursued. In his view, he added, what is needed is a "realistic policy and practical legislation, which does not impose impossible tasks on producers and processors". Jean-Paul Mingasson, Director General for industry at the Commission also took a stance in favour of a "realistic, proportionate and flexible policy" that allows risks linked to chemical substances to be managed effectively, while safeguarding the competitiveness of the chemical industry. Its services are of the opinion that, initially, only the most dangerous substances should be evaluated, even if it means stepping up controls on all chemical substances, if such a need is felt after the experimental phase of the new system. Catherine Day, Director General for the Environment, affirmed that the Commission was aware of the problems facing the industry with the introduction of such a system, but wished to bring the industry's fears down to the right proportions. The new registration and assessment system envisaged will only cover 20% of all chemical products, as, although it aims to cover the whole of new chemical substances, it will only apply to a limited number of substances already on the market, she noted. Furthermore, in her view, the recent study published by the German industrial trade union (BDI) concerning the potential consequences of the future European legislation on the German economy, would have blackened the picture by tabling on the disappearance of 150,000 to 2.35 million jobs. The Commission is working on "balanced and realistic proposals" reconciling the public health, environmental and economic aspects, assured Ms Day, recalling, however, that, in future, it will be the industry that will provide the proof that its products are not harmful.