UKEN Policy Checklist - Chemicals.

Nine organisations representing the European Chemicals Industry wrote to Commissioner Margot Wallstrom in April, setting out concerns about the impact of the proposed EU Chemicals Strategy on competitiveness. It is estimated by the European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) that turnover within the European chemicals industry reached 488bn in 2000.

The Industry and Environment Commissioners presented the strategy in early May 2003. It will now be followed by eight weeks of industry consultation via the Internet.

The UK Government published a position statement on the strategy in December 2002. The statement aims to set out the Government's view of the best way of implementing REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals).

All compounds where more than one tonne per year is produced, including existing products, will be required to register. Where production exceeds 100 tonnes annually, an evaluation programme will be established. Certain dangerous chemicals will require authorisation.

The organic chemicals sector will come into PPC regulation between 2003 and 2006, but most plants affected will be required to submit applications for permits between January and August 2003. BREF documentation for all affected sectors is not yet ready and the Agency has therefore produced interim guidance notes. These include standard requirements for energy, noise, accidents, site closure, waste BPEO and material efficiency which directly result from the PPC Regulations.

The control of hazardous chemicals and pesticides in developing countries is controlled by the 1998 Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure. A recent OECD report concluded that the UK uses almost double the amount of pesticides of comparable countries.

By July 2002 all companies were required to comply with the 3rd release of the EU's Chemical Hazard Information and Packaging requirements.

Environment Ministers from 90 countries have adopted a new chemical management strategy covering eighteen key areas. The strategy was approved at the Johannesburg summit. The WSSD Implementation Plan (Article 22), agreed to the: "sound management of chemicals throughout their life cycle.... aiming to achieve by 2020 that chemicals are used and produced in ways that lead to the minimisation of significant adverse effects on human health and the environment".

A global system of classification and labelling of chemicals is due to be in place by 2008.

Copyright UK Environment News Ltd - Vol 7, Issue 4, June 2003. Tel 020 7351 3954. UK Environment News cannot accept any incidental or consequential liability for information carried in this article.