Press Release on draft new EU Chemicals Legislation for consultation (REACH)

Description

Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen and Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom today presented new proposals to overhaul and modernise the EU`s regulatory system for chemicals. Following discussion of their approach, the European Commission gave the go-ahead for an 8 weeks` Internet consultation on the draft chemicals legislation. The aims of the proposed new Regulation, which will replace 40 different pieces of current legislation, are to increase the protection of human health and the environment from exposure to chemicals while at the same time to maintain and enhance the competitiveness and innovative capability of the EU chemicals industry. In delivering both these aims, the proposals aims at fully conforming to the balanced approach required by sustainable development. Chemical substances are used in the manufacture of almost all products we use every day at home or at work. The industry that produces them plays a vital role in sustaining the competitiveness and innovative potential of many final product manufacturers downstream. The system for registering, evaluating and authorising chemical products should therefore boost enterprise competitiveness and product innovation, to the long-run benefit of chemicals manufacturers and importers, users, consumers and the environment. The Internet consultation will enable interested parties to comment on the detail of the future legal requirements before the proposal is finalised by the Commission.