Oct 25, 2004
British Industry supports substitution within REACH
The Confederation of British Industry, the Chemical
Industries Association and Greenpeace share the common position
that substances requiring an authorisation within REACH according
to Title VII, Article 54 of the Commission's proposal
(i.e. substances of very high concern) should be replaced with
less hazardous alternatives
wherever and whenever practicable.
Oct 13, 2004
The True Costs of REACH
Most impact studies are designed to predict costs of introducing REACH. But they tend to forget to compare with the costs of NOT introducing REACH. And how would a strengthened REACH text (compared to the one currently proposed) change the cost and profits for industry? The Nordic Council of Ministers has just released a new study: "The True Costs of REACH" by economy professor Frank Ackerman in Boston, showing that legislation is clearly affordable to industry.
Download the report (pdf)
June 28, 2004
Environment Ministers for stronger REACH
In an article published in Frankfurter Rundschau the Environment Ministers of Germany and Sweden, Jürgen Trittin and Lena Sommestad, argues for a stronger REACH. They emphasise four points that they consider particularly important:
- Promote substitution
- More information on substances between 1-10 tonne per year
- Future impact assessments covers all costs and benefits for business, health and environment
- Exchange of information to reduce animal experiments
May 17, 2004
The Stockholm Convention entered into force
The 2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) entered into force on Monday, May 17, marking the start of an ambitious international effort to rid the world of PCBs, dioxins and furans, and nine highly dangerous pesticides.
"The Stockholm Convention will save lives and protect the natural environment – particularly in the poorest communities and countries – by banning the production and use of some of the most toxic chemicals known to humankind," said Executive Klaus Toepfer of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), under whose auspices the Convention was adopted.
Pressrelease from UNEP (en, fr, es)
April 29, 2004
Crying wolf on enviromental law
Industry has for years overestimated the cost of implementing environmental legislation in order to persuade politicians to weaken or drop proposed environmental law according to 'Cry Wolf' – a report by the International Chemical Secretariat, sponsored by WWF.
Pressrelease
Report: Cry
wolf - predicted costs by industry in the face of new regulations (pdf)
April 1, 2004
The Chemical Industry, the Bush Administration, and European Efforts to Regulate Chemicals
Henry Waxman of the U.S. Congress
has released a report that shows that the U.S. Administration, at
the request of the U.S. chemical industry, mounted a campaign to
block the efforts of the European Union to require chemical companies
to adequately assess the risks of chemicals that are sold in the marketplace.
Report: The
Chemical Industry, the Bush Administration, and European Efforts
to Regulate Chemicals (pdf)
March 25, 2004
New survey: Nordic industry positive to REACH
A survey
in the Nordic countries confirms that companies in general are ready
to cope with new rules imposed by REACH. 33 industries, trade unions,
and industry associations describe their views in the 50 page report,
presented today at a ministerial meeting in Copenhagen. The survey,
carried out by Chemsec and five Nordic NGOs, has been financed by the
Nordic Council of Ministers.
- The results contradicts the prevailing notion that REACH is not welcomed
by the chemical industry and downstream users, said Sidsel Dyekjaer from the
Danish Ecological Council and main author of the report.
- The report may serve as a source of information for policy makers in their
effort to finalize REACH and thereby - hopefully - take a major step forward
into the challenging task of translating sustainable development into reality,
says Per Unckel, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, in the
report's preface.
Pressrelease
Report: REACH – a
leap forward for industry (pdf)
February 25, 2004
Downstream users support REACH in Brussels
In a meeting* with Members of the European Parliament and representatives from the Commission and the Council in Brussels, downstream users supported a stronger REACH. The companies voiced concern that the present proposal would not deliver the tools they needed to be able to assure that their products is not a threat to health and environment. Résumé
February 23, 2004
NCC writes letter to MEPs
NCC is one of the leading construction companies in the Nordic region, with activities also in Germany and Poland. NCC had annual sales of 5 billion euro in 2002, and employs 25,000 staff. In a letter sent to selected MEPs on Wednesday, NCC express their strong support for a strengtening of the current REACH proposal.
NCC's view on the present REACH proposal dated October 29, 2004
February 17, 2004
POPs Convention enters into force May 17
The 2001
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) will become
legally binding on 17 May 2004. The 90-day countdown to the treaty's
entry into force was triggered on 17 February 2004 when France
became the 50th state to ratify the agreement.
"Of all the pollutants released into the environment every year by human activity,
POPs are the most dangerous. For decades these highly toxic chemicals have killed
and injured people and wildlife by inducing cancer and damaging the nervous,
reproductive and immune systems. They have also caused uncounted birth defects," said
UNEP Executive Klaus Toepfer.
February 5, 2004
Swedish Government to sue the EU Commission
In December last year the European Commission took a decision
to reauthorise paraquat in pesticides in the EU.
Because of its hazardous properties paraquat has been banned in Sweden since
1983. To be able to continue protect health and environment, the Swedish Government
have decided to sue the Commission and ask the European court of justice to
overturn the reauthorisation.
Pressrelease
(See also Paraquat
Syngenta's controversial herbicide by Berne Declaration, Swedish
Society for Nature Conservation, Pesticide Action Network UK, and Pesticide
Action Network Asia Pacific)
January 29, 2004
Launch of WWF's DetoX Campaign
A new WWF report reveals a collection of recent scientific
evidence for contamination of both people and wildlife, such
as whales, polar bears, seals and falcons, by a wide range of
chemicals used in common consumer products.
The release of the report marks the launch of WWF's DetoX Campaign for the
adoption of a stronger EU law on chemicals.
http://www.panda.org//campaign/detox/index.cfm
Report: Causes
for Concern: Chemicals and Wildlife
January 20, 2004
BEUC launch campaign "Our daily cocktail of chemicals"
To raise public and MEPs awareness towards this issue, BEUC, the European Consumer Organisation, is today launching in the European Parliament thier new campaign: "Our daily cocktail of chemicals"