Posted on September, 13 2005

WWF, the European Public Health Alliance – Environment Network and Friends of the Earth Europe, believe the amendments to REACH passed today in European Parliament internal market and industry committees would, if not rejected by the Environment committee, derail the REACH project and result in a return to the failed ‘status quo’, where most chemicals in use are not assessed for safety.

A REACH in this form would do almost nothing to improve protection for public health, workers, consumers, and the environment from the growing levels of toxic chemicals in our daily lives. 
 
"The amendments adopted today would fatally undermine the basic principle of REACH: to identify from full safety data which chemicals are hazardous and need to be phased out of our daily environment", said WWF DetoX Campaign Director, Karl Wagner. 
 
The NGOs recognise there has been intense industry pressure on MEPs similar to that exerted two years ago on the Commission, which resulted in a watered down Commission proposal on REACH, the new EU chemical legislation. 
 
Members of the two parliamentary committees today voted in favour of improving the short-term profits of the chemical industry and removing their responsibility for the safety of their own products, at the expense of protecting public health, workers, consumers, and the environment from hazardous chemicals.

And those whose health is most vulnerable are pregnant mothers, babies, children and the elderly.

Downstream user companies will also be disadvantaged, as they will not have the information they need to make informed decisions about which are the best chemicals to use in their products. 
 
If REACH is to live up to its original goal - the need to ensure improved protection of the environment and health whilst maintaining EU competitiveness - it is essential that on the 4th October the members of the Environment and Public Health Committee overturn today’s vote and ensure that the environment and human health are given the protection from industrial chemicals they deserve. 
 

For further information: 
Noemi Cano, Communications Manager 
WWF DetoX Campaign
Tel: +32 2 743 88 06
E-mail: Ncano@wwfepo.org
 
Christian Farrar-Hockley, Policy Officer 
EPHA Environment Network, 
Tel: +32 2 233 3874 
E-mail: Christian@env-health.org