Environmental NGOs says the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is failing
in enforcing the REACH regulation on chemical safety, applying increased
pressure on the European Commission ahead of a review expected this month.
Adopted in 2006, the REACH regulation requires chemical manufacturers to
register some 100,000 or so substances currently on the market and submit them
for safety screening and subsequent authorisation .
An audit of ECHA, undertaken by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB)
and ClientEarth, concluded that ECHA has taken a number of decisions that have
seriously undermined its own ability to achieve REACH objectives. It has failed
in its commitment to guarantee the safe use of chemicals and improve the
quality of life of citizens and the environment, states the report. It has made
little effort in the evaluation of registration dossiers and has not been
transparent when dealing with completeness checks and registration.
NGOs claim that ECHA is too close to industry to achieve REACH aims. It
has chosen to effectively support industry efforts to withhold data and to
limit the transparency of reach processes, thus making it more difficult for
NGOs to participate in the implementation of reach, reinforcing the perception
of an agency lacking independence from the chemical industry.
ECHA has in the past acknowledged the poor quality of dossiers submitted
by industry, saying some producers unduly tried to benefit from registration
exemptions reserved for so-called "intermediate" substances.
Nevertheless, they refuted NGO criticisms of agency's independence. They
claimed agency makes every effort to act transparently and independently.
The NGO report will raise the pressure on the European Commission to
tighten the screw on REACH, ahead of a review of the regulation, originally
planned for June but which is now expected this month. The Commission has said
the report is only a legal requirement and that it would not necessarily lead
to a full rewrite of the REACH regulation. The outcome of the Review, when
adopted by the Commission, will be presented to the public.
The Information Daily
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