US chemicals leaders say Reach is unworkable

13 December 2006 18:23  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (ICIS news)--The European Parliament’s approval of the Reach programme has produced an unworkable regulatory plan that will stifle trade and innovation, US chemical industry leaders said on Wednesday.

 

Jack Gerard, president of the American Chemistry Council, said of the final European passage of the broad programme for registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals (Reach): “The European Parliament has unfortunately failed to produce workable chemical legislation.”

 

The Reach programme authorised by parliament, he said, has failed to address concerns raised by industry and major trading partners of European Union member nations.

 

“Strong and effective chemical regulation should not have to come at the expense of global trade and competitiveness,” Gerard said.

 

“A more focused and flexible approach to registration and a truly risk-based approach to authorisation could have brought our economies and regulatory systems closer together,” he added.

 

He said the council’s member companies - who represent some 85% of US basic industrial chemicals productive capacity - “are troubled by the new [Reach] requirement for submission of a ‘substitution plan’ for all substances where an alternative might exist. We believe this is a poor use of time, energy and resources.” 

 

He said this aspect of Reach and resulting pressure to find and adopt substitutes “will lead to unintended and potentially adverse consequences.”

 

David Friedman, director of environmental affairs at the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, said Europe’s final approval of Reach “will have tremendous impact on trade, both in Europe and here.”

 

“We’re going to have to see how this plays out on the implementation side,” Friedman said.  However, he noted that the association is pleased that European Union officials apparently have accepted that data generated by the US high production volume (HPV) testing programme will meet Reach criteria.

 

“Our understanding, through meetings with EU officials, is that HPV test data will be recognised,” Freidman said, “so we are pleased about that.”

 

Gerard noted that the guidance necessary to implement Reach is still being developed in the European Union, and he said the council is committed to bringing its best efforts and co-operation to that implementation process.

 

The Reach programme is expected to go into force by mid-2007.

By: Joe Kamalick
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