Statement

EU Parliament Passes Unworkable REACH Legislation at the Expense of Global Trade Competitiveness

ARLINGTON, VA (December 13, 2006) – The European Parliament voted today to approve legislation calling for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH), in a form which will unnecessarily stifle trade and innovation.  American Chemistry Council (ACC) President and CEO Jack N. Gerard issued the following statement:

“Today’s vote by the European Parliament has unfortunately failed to produce workable chemical legislation.  The compromise package approved by the Parliament has not addressed many of the key concerns repeatedly expressed by industry and major EU trading partners.  A more focused and flexible approach to registration, and a truly risk-based approach to authorization, could have brought our economies and regulatory systems closer together.  Strong and effective chemical regulation should not have to come at the expense of global trade and competitiveness. 

“As a science-based industry, we are troubled by the new requirement for submission of a “substitution plan” for all substances where an alternative might exist, even if those substances are adequately controlled.  We believe this is a poor use of time, energy and resources – particularly given the reality that viable substitutes are not readily available for every use.  We are concerned that the pressure to find and adopt substitutes will lead to unintended and potentially adverse consequences.  Industry, suppliers and downstream users have a long and successful tradition of innovating, developing and using safer and better alternatives.  But these results cannot be mandated, particularly under the strict time and bureaucratic constraints imposed by this legislation. 

“REACH is expected to enter into force in mid-2007.  The guidance necessary to successfully implement REACH is still being developed.  In that process, ACC is committed to bringing our best efforts, ideas and cooperation.”

ACC members continue to demonstrate their commitment to human health and environmental protection by investing heavily in research and development and the application of improved technologies.  Through an initiative called Responsible Care®, efforts by ACC member’s to make continued progress in health, safety and environmental protection is measured, tracked and available for public review at http://www.responsiblecare-us.org/.

Learn more about REACH.