Brussels, 22/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Construction Industry Federation (building and civil engineering), the ECIF, welcomes reform to European regulations on chemicals “since the current legislation does not provide the users of chemicals with sufficient information about substances contained in products”, they explain in a communication. “As many as 45 000 different materials and products are in widespread use in building and civil engineering activities in Europe. Some of these contain potentially hazardous substances. A few call for special health and safety measures on construction sites while others can affect the indoor climate of buildings. The large volumes of material used in construction taken together with the long life span of buildings increase the impact that these substances can have on the indoor and out-door environment”, the ECIF argues. The construction sector in Europe has therefore identified possible areas for modification in the Commission proposal which would enable companies to obtain better information on the chemical content of the products they use and to reduce the risks of incorporating dangerous chemical substances in their construction projects.
In particular, the European construction sector emphasises the need to: - provide adequate information based on the current state of scientific knowledge at the time that the substance, preparation or product is placed on the market and is distributed throughout the supply chain. Downstream users and professional users should be given access to “information needed in view of downstream users credibility towards their customers and in order to fulfil obligations contained in other legislation whilst avoiding potentially significant costs resulting from a lack of information”, explains the ECIF; - progressively eliminate “substances of very high concern” wherever less dangerous alternatives are available; - apply the same legislative requirements to products imported into the EU.