Compromises Move Reach Closer to Reality

Chemicals Policy

The next-to-the-last chapter in the European Union’s policy for the registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals, known as REACH, was concluded last week.

Compromises between political parties and committees in the European Parliament enabled a Nov. 17 final vote approving REACH by 407 to 155, with 41 abstentions. The bill heavily pares back the regulations originally proposed by the European Commission in October 2003 (C&EN, Nov. 14, page 42).

Parliament’s package now goes to the Council of Ministers, the main decision-making body of the EU. There, two subcouncils—competitiveness and environment—have been debating REACH for the past two months.

However, the final Competitiveness Council’s vote on the amended bill, originally set for Nov. 28–29, has been delayed. The U.K., which currently holds the presidency of the EU and which calls finalization of a REACH bill among its top priorities, agreed to postpone the vote to give the incoming government of Germany’s new chancellor, Angela Merkel, time to study it. The measure will have a major impact on the German chemical industry, the largest in Europe.

Unless the Competitiveness Council accepts all Parliament’s amendments, a “second reading” will be needed, which could involve nearly a year’s additional work.

Greenpeace called the postponement “an outrage.” U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair “caved in to pressure from Germany’s Angela Merkel, who is seeking to protect the interests of Germany’s large chemical companies,” according to the activist group.

U.K. officials hope to have final approval on REACH—which one minister says is “not perfect, but it’s much, much better than what we have now”—by the end of the year.