Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-12-11-Speech-1-075"
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"en.20061211.14.1-075"2
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"Mr President, Commissioners Verheugen and Dimas, ladies and gentlemen, Mr Sacconi, the Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is one of the most significant legislative projects in the EU’s history. It will be a giant leap forward from the current control system for chemicals, which is roughly 40 years old. It will make Europe a global pioneer and forerunner in this area.
Consumers too will be able to obtain more information on the hazardous substances contained in goods and articles. With REACH a system will also be established which will oblige businesses to give details, if so requested by consumers, on substances of high concern contained in articles.
The matter of the authorisation procedure and substitutions were the last questions that remained unanswered in the negotiations. The Presidency’s proposal is that the applicant or holder of an authorisation should submit a substitution plan, while an analysis of the alternatives shows that there are suitable alternative options. The substitution plan should be submitted regardless of whether the authorisation is to be granted on the basis of appropriate risk management or socio-economic benefits. What is more, the appropriate risk management route was made narrower in scope than the version in the common position adopted, in that it will not apply to PBT or vPvB substances. With regard to substances that interfere with hormone function, it was agreed that this should be looked at again within the next six years. I believe that this solution takes balanced and realistic account of the concerns voiced by the European Parliament about the most hazardous substances being substituted.
It is with pleasure that the Finnish Presidency can confirm that there is a package of amendments to be voted on which is based on the outcome of the tripartite negotiations. I can also confirm the Council’s approval of these amendments. Regarding other amendments, I hope that the outcome of the talks will remain unchanged.
I hope that at its sitting on Wednesday Parliament will adopt the compromise package on the Regulation as negotiated with the Council. Then a legislative project of importance both to the public and industry would be one major step closer to its realisation.
For almost exactly three years, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have been working painstakingly together to have the REACH Regulation adopted. The negotiating process has seen difficult phases. It is with no exaggeration that I can say that, but for the keen commitment of all parties to this, we would not be here today.
The drafting of the Regulation by the Council has been a challenge for no fewer than seven presidencies. I would like to thank all the presidencies that have prepared a basis in the Council for the decision that is now before us. The political consensus achieved in the Council during the UK Presidency paved the way excellently for the conclusion of talks during the Finnish presidential term.
I am very pleased that the Member States have given their staunch support to the negotiated compromise package. I also sincerely hope that the various groups in the European Parliament will support the compromise solution as broadly as possible in the vote on Wednesday.
I would, in this connection, like to thank the European Parliament for their splendid levels of cooperation during the autumn negotiations. In particular, I wish to thank the rapporteur, Mr Sacconi, and Mr Florenz, Chairman of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, and numerous other Members, who have been actively involved in finding common solutions. I also want to thank Commissioners Verheugen and Dimas, whose personal input in the talks was considerable.
At this stage it is a good time to evaluate the process regarding how the objectives set for the REACH Regulation are to be realised overall.
The regulation will do much to improve the protection of human health and the environment. The REACH system will improve our knowledge of the properties of substances, make the control of risks from chemicals more effective, and make it necessary to have an authorisation to use the most hazardous substances of all. The new safety requirements will be the most stringent in the world. It is in the common interests of European consumers and industry alike to promote the product development of new and safer chemicals. It is for this purpose that the current notification procedure has been reworked in the proposal. The REACH system will also mean that companies will have greater responsibility and more duties to discharge, and it will present companies with an opportunity to attend to their obligations under chemical safety more independently than they used to.
There will be a significant increase in the transparency of the control of chemicals with the creation of up-to-date information systems and registers for the European Chemicals Agency, from which the public too will be able to obtain information on substances and their properties more easily. There will be no other information systems of the kind in the world.
If the effects of substances are to be examined properly better information on their properties will be needed. The REACH Regulation will put this on a new level by making it possible to use alternative research methods and programmes on a broad basis. These new research methods are also likely to influence chemicals testing at global level."@en1
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