"The chemical industry appreciates that the European Parliament has taken major amendments on board in order to keep the future system workable." Alain Perroy, director general of the European Chemical Industry Council

The plan calls for industry to conduct toxicity testing and risk assessments to show that its products are safe--at an estimated cost of nearly $2.5 billion over 20 years.

EU lawmakers passed a resolution supporting the chemical-control strategy, called a white paper, offered earlier this year as a discussion document by the European Commission (EC), the EU's administrative arm (C&EN, Feb. 26, page 34). The Nov. 15 vote marks the first milestone for the plan. Next, the EC will consult with interested parties as it drafts legislation to present to Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers. That legislation is expected by mid-2002.

As it put together its endorsement of the plan, Parliament suggested changes. The resolution says the new chemical policy must aim to phase out substances as soon as they are shown to be of "very high concern"--unless their use is essential to society and there is no safe alternative. It wants consumer products containing chemicals of very high concern to carry labels.

Parliament turned down a call to require registration of chemicals produced in quantities of less than 1 metric ton per year.

Legislators also agreed that the government chemical-authorization program should be limited to carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxics, and persistent organic pollutants. They rejected a proposal to expand the program to cover other categories of substances. However, Parliament asked the EC to consider whether persistent, bioaccumulative toxic compounds should be included.

Bertil Heerink, director of EU government affairs for the European Chemical Industry Council, tells C&EN that industry is pleased that Parliament rejected proposals to expand the strategy and lawmakers endorsed science as the basis for regulatory action.

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