By Brian Johnson - 13th September 2005
Green MEPs have accused pro-industry colleagues in the European Parliament of crippling the effectiveness of proposed new chemicals legislation.
Tempers are rising in the European Parliament as MEPs vote on key amendments ahead of a crucial October 4 environment committee vote on the EU’s REACH proposals.
Green MEPs and environmental groups are crying foul over what they see as intense industry lobbying of MEPs.
Parliament’s industry committee adopted on Tuesday a report which its Swedish author, Liberal MEP, Lena Ek said strengthened the position of small businesses.
But furious Green MEPs accused members of the parliament’s three largest groups of stitching up an agreement that fatally weakens the scope of the controversial legislation.
“I am shocked to see how the majority of the industry committee could ignore the need to protect human health and instead follow the line of the 'cancer lobby',” said Green group industry committee member Satu Hassi
Hassi said it was no surprise that the German EPP members pushed industry’s line, but she says she was surprised to see the committee’s socialist members following a similar approach.
“For 20,000 substances that fall under REACH, industry will only have to provide the information they currently have – rewarding those who have behaved irresponsibly in the past and failed to test the chemicals they sell,” said Hassi.
“Eight important tests have been eliminated on purely economic grounds for another 5,000 substances, leaving workers and consumers potentially unprotected against substances that could be mutagenic or toxic to reproduction.”
“The chemicals industry can be proud of their loyal MEPs for effectively demolishing testing requirements.”
Environmental NGOs were also disappointed with the swing in support towards industry arguing that the amendments passed in both the industry and internal market committees constituted a return to the “failed status quo where most chemicals in use are not assessed for safety.”
“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,” said Karl Wagner of WWF.
“Today’s industry committee vote reflects the interests of just a fraction of European business: the scaremongering polluters,” said Greenpeace in a statement.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.