06/02/2004 (Agence Europe) - Guido Sacconi, Democratici de sinistra MEP and Vice-President of the EP's committee on the environment, has welcomed the decision by the Chairmen's Conference of the EP to give this committee the main responsibility for the regulation on chemical products (REACH). "The conflict of competencies opened by the industry and internal market committees, which challenged the awarding of the dossier to the environment committee, has finally been resolved", said Mr Sacconi in a press release (there haven been similar problems at Council level: Ed). He is, however, disappointed by the delays caused by these disputes, and acknowledged that under these circumstances, there will be no first reading by the current Parliament on such an important issue. "All is not lost, and I hope that the work I have done up until now will serve as a basis for the joint adoption of a document which summarises the positions of this Parliament", said Mr Sacconi, concluding, in the hope that now "we can get rid of blocking tactics": "It is now certain that first reading will be during the next term. This means that REACH's impact not on the economy, but on the European elections, has been cancelled out. Unfettered by this obsession, shall we start reasonable discussions on the substance?".