(10/11/05) Compromisvoorstel om REACH te redden

• 2005-11-10

Plan R – rescue REACH

Greens and GUE present new compromise to rescue REACH

As a counterproposal to a compromise on the REACH chemicals legislation (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restrictions of Chemicals), reached yesterday between the socialist and conservative groups in the European Parliament, the Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups today presented an alternative plan to rescue REACH, which focuses on the key issue of registration.

Presenting the alternative, Swedish Green MEP (10/11/05) Carl Schlyter , said

"With our Plan R – rescue REACH!– MEPs now have a choice on either siding with the German chemical industry or with doctors, trade unions, environment and consumer NGOs and responsible industry. Every member of the Parliament must now make a critical decision on whether to will allow industry to dictate the result of Parliament's vote. Our proposal offers a balanced compromise that would keep REACH intact. MEPs have an opportunity to vote for legislation that is determined by what is needed to protect human health and the environment. If they fail to take advantage of this last opportunity to rescue REACH their children will live to pay the costs."

Hiltrud Breyer , German Member of the Greens/EFA group added:

"It is shocking to see that a handful of very vocal German Socialists managed to bring the rapporteur to his knees. Contrary to his intentions to improve REACH, rapporteur Sacconi was forced to agree to tear apart its key pillar, and once he caved in, the similarly vocal German liberals ensured that the ALDE group also caved in. But I refuse to believe that a majority in the socialists or liberals are ready to accept the bitter pill offered by the conservatives. The REACH vote will be a litmus test about the new EU is focused only on the short-term economic interests of multinational companies, or whether it considers the interests of society as a whole."

Satu Hassi , Finnish Green vice-president of the environment committee concluded:

"The Nassauer-Sacconi compromise would not only drastically reduce data requirements for 90% of the low-volume substances, but it would also reduce data requirements for middle and high volume substances. Non-confidential information on the properties of substances is made confidential via the backdoor. The general public could be used as a guinea pig for research and development. And it would make life a lot harder for SMEs, as it would not oblige the big industry to share all data with them. Such attacks on REACH will not help anyone, not even the chemical industry. This would destroy the last bit of confidence in REACH to be able to adequately protect human health and the environment. The chemical industry would stay under fire."