Activites

• #2491
• 2003/03/04 Council Meeting
• #2473
• 2002/12/09 Council Meeting
  • 2473 summary

    The Council held a public debate concerning the legislative package required for the implementation of the Commission's White Paper on a new chemicals policy at Union level. The debate was held on the basis of a paper drawn up by the Presidency in preparation of the in-depth discussions and negotiations the Council is expected to have on this matter during 2003. The paper focused the debate on the following key issues: - the scope of the new authorisation system (what substances should be covered?); - type of sanctions (how to apply the principle of no data no marketing?); - chemical substances in products imported into, as well as produced in the Union (which consumer goods to include in the regulation; e.g. toys, textiles, electronics?); - the situation of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and downstream users. Following the discussion, the president concluded that there was consensus among the delegations on the consensus on the importance of the subject matter and that four questions raised by the paper were essential. Moreover, he concluded that carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic chemicals (so-called CMRs), as well as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBT) and very persistent and very bioaccumulative chemicals (vPvB), should be considered in future proposals, with special attention being given to endocrine disrupters. Delegations agreed on the principle of replacing those chemicals presenting most danger with safer alternative substances and that the lack of adequate data for registration should imply banning the marketing of those substances. There was also broad support for specific guidance to be directed at SMEs to assist with the implementation of future legislation. The Council adopted the following conclusions in preparation of the 22nd Meeting of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Governing Council which is due to take place in February 2003: The Council underlines that safe management of chemicals is of high priority for the European Union as reflected in other EU programmes and policies such as the 6th Environmental Action Programme and that the European Union is ready to move the international agenda on chemicals forward through supporting continued efforts particularly by UNEP in close co-operation with the Intergovernmental Forum for Chemical Safety. The Council calls on the Commission to finalise its analysis of the Globally Harmonised System (GHS) for Classification and Labelling of chemicals and thereafter to put forward appropriate proposals to introduce this system into the new EU chemicals legislation.�

• 2002/06/13 Final act published in Official Journal
• #2433
• 2002/06/06 Council Meeting
• 2001/11/15 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0610/2001 summary

    The European Parliament approved the report by Mrs Inger SCHÖRLING (Greens/EFA, S) by 242 votes to 196 votes with 35 abstentions. It supports the Commission's plan to establish a single system for the registration, evaluation and auhtorisation of both existing and new chemicals, to replace the existing cumbersome and ineffective legislation, but wants to go further. (Please refer to the previous text). In addition, the Parliament welcomes the merging of legislative provisions applicable to existing and new substances, and the proposed registration of and evaluation procedure for all substances produced in excess of 1 tonne annually. It rejects, on the other hand, calls for an additional register for all substances produced at under 1 tonne annually. The Parliament voted not to expand greatly the range of substances that are proven to be carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic to reproduction (CMR) and should therefore be limited to CMR categories 1 and 2 substances and to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However, it does want the Commission to consider whether substances such as PBTs should also be included and it wants to include pesticides. Lastly, Parliament is keen to ensure that the needs of industry, especially small business, are taken on board under the new chemicals strategy, which must avoid excessive red tape and protect commercial confidentiality.�

• 2001/11/13 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2001/10/16 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0356/2001
• #2371
• 2001/09/27 Council Meeting
  • 2371
• 2001/07/02 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• #2357
• 2001/06/11 Council Meeting
  • 2357
• #2355
• 2001/06/07 Council Meeting
  • 2355
• #2347
• 2001/05/14 Council Meeting
  • 2347
• #2336
• 2001/03/12 Council Meeting
  • 2336
• #2334
• 2001/03/08 Council Meeting
  • 2334
• 2001/02/27 Non-legislative basic document published
  • COM(2001)0088 summary

    PURPOSE : to propose a strategy for a future chemicals policy. CONTENT : this White Paper presents Commission proposal for a strategy on future chemicals policy in the Community with the overriding goal of sustainable development. The global production of chemicals has increased from 1 million tonnes in 1930 to 400 million tonnes today. The EU chemical industry was the world's largest in 1998, followed by that of the US with 28% of production value and a trade surplus of EUR 12 billion. The chemical industry is also Europe's third largest manufacturing industry. It employs 1.7 million people directly and up to 3 million jobs are dependent on it. As well as several leading multinationals, it also comprises around 36,000 SMEs. These SMEs represent 96% of the total number of enterprises and account for 28% of chemical production. In order to achieve the the overriding goal of sustainable development, the Commission has identified a number of objectives that must be met in order to achieve sustainable development in the chemicals industry within the framework of the Single Market: 1) Protection of human health and promotion of non-toxic environment: the Commission proposes that existing and new substances should in the future, following at the phasing in of existing substances until 2012, be subject to the same procedure under a single system; 2) Maintenance and enhancement of the competitiveness of the EU chemical industry: the Community policy in the field of chemical substances should aim to promote the competitiveness of the chemicals industry and encourage innovation, and in particular the development of safer chemical; 3) Prevent fragmentation of the internal market: it is imperative that the new policy be based on full harmonisation at Community level; 4) Increasing transparency: the public has a right to access to information about the chemicals to which they are exposed. This will enable them to make informed choices and to avoid products containing harmful chemicals. The creation of a single system it to be applied to all chemicals will improve the transparency of the regulation of chemicals; 5) Integration with international aspects: a global network of industrialised and developing countries and international organisations has developed over the past decades to promote global safe use of chemicals; 6) Promotion of non-animal testing: development of new non-animal test methods will be encouraged; 7) Conformity with EU international obligations under the WTO: the new policy shall not discriminate against imported products and it shall not create unnecessary obstacles to internatinoal trade. The proposed strategy must meet these objectives.�

  • DG [{'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/', 'title': 'Environment'}],

Documents

• Non-legislative basic document published: COM(2001)0088
• Debate in Council: 2334
• Debate in Council: 2336
• Debate in Council: 2347
• Debate in Council: 2355
• Debate in Council: 2357
• Debate in Council: 2371
• Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A5-0356/2001
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0610/2001
• Debate in Council: 2473

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)