The safety of thousands of potentially toxic chemicals in everyday use will have to be tested for the first time under a new regulatory framework launched by the European Commission.
The rules are aimed at protecting people and the environment, but have been weakened because of fierce opposition from industry and governments. And this has infuriated environmentalists.
鈥淎 few big and dirty companies have driven the commission to set a dangerous precedent 鈥� allowing specific business interests to prevail over public health and environment protection,鈥� says John Hontelez, secretary general of the European Environmental Bureau.
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Amongst the chemicals of concern are polybrominated diphenyl ethers, which are widely used as flame retardants in clothing, furniture and plastics. They are suspected of causing cancer and damaging brain development, and have been detected in mother鈥檚 breast milk in the US, the UK and other countries.
There are also worries about chemicals like nonylphenol, phthalates and organotins, which have recently been found in children鈥檚 pyjamas. Until now, most chemicals have not been subject to any systematic assessment, with bans only being imposed after problems emerged.
鈥淕round breaking鈥�
On Wednesday, the commission published its long-awaited law to register, evaluate and authorise chemicals, known as REACH. According to the environment commissioner, Margot Wallstr枚m, it is 鈥済round-breaking鈥�, and will lead to the European Union having 鈥渙ne of the most progressive chemicals management systems in the world鈥�.
There are about 100,000 chemicals used in Europe, though REACH is only aiming to control the 30 per cent of them that are produced in quantities of more than a tonne per year. Over the next 13 years these 30,000 chemicals will have to be registered with a new European Chemicals Agency by the companies that produce or import them.
The commission expects about 6000 of them produced in large amounts or suspected of being harmful will require further evaluation, though it aims to minimise testing on animals. The chemicals found to cause cancer or to be persistent environmental pollutants would then have to be authorised.
Balancing act
Draft REACH proposals put forward by the commission in 2001 would have obliged companies to provide detailed safety assessments of all 30,000 chemicals. But they were attacked as burdensome and costly by chemical companies, who were backed by the US, UK, French and German governments.
As a result the commission has 鈥渟treamlined鈥� the system by cutting the amount of information that companies have to provide for 20,000 of the chemicals produced in quantities of one to 10 tonnes a year. This 鈥渟trikes the right balance鈥� between ensuring economic growth and protecting public health, says enterprise commissioner, Erkki Liikanen.
Although businesses welcome the changes that have been made, they warn that REACH could still lead to higher costs and job losses. 鈥淧rotecting the environment and people鈥檚 health is vital, but this proposal will achieve little at huge cost,鈥� says Michael Roberts, environment director with the Confederation of British Industry.
The chemical industry is the third largest manufacturing industry in the European Union and directly employs 1.7 million people. The latest REACH proposals will now be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers before becoming law.