EU Environment Council: 
No hazardous chemicals after 2020 

Swedish Environmental Protection Agency Press Release 4aug01

The EU Environment Council reached agreement on the so-called "generation objective" and on authorisation requirements for considerably more chemicals. This added to the contentment of the Swedish Minister for the Environment, Kjell Larsson, as he concluded his final meeting of the Swedish EU Presidency in Luxembourg on 7-8 June.

The generation objective stipulates that "within one generation – i.e. by 2020 – only chemicals that do not have a significantly negative impact on health and the environment are to be produced". The Environment Ministers included this both in the Sixth Environmental Action Programme (6EAP) and the strategy for the future Chemicals Policy of the EU.

Just four months after the Commission submitted its proposal for 6EAP, both the European Parliament and the Environment Council have already managed a first reading. Both have also tightened up the Commission's proposal, but on several points the Parliament goes much further. Sweden nevertheless believes that the forthcoming decision-making process will continue at a rate that allows the 6EAP to be finalised and adopted in good time before the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002.

The Council's decision on 6EAP contains additional objectives, compared with the Commission's proposal, and puts more emphasis on how to tackle the climate issues and biodiversity as well as on how to include the candidate countries in the programme. Some of the objectives included in the decision are:

• Fossil fuels subsidies to be abolished.
• Economic growth to be decoupled from resource use.
• Policy on public procurement to include environmental concerns.
• The loss of biodiversity to be stemmed by 2010.
• A long-term climate objective to stabilise amounts of greenhouse gases at 550 ppm.

The Council has also asked the Commission to define targets for cutting waste generation in a proposal before 2003.

6EAP was one of four priority issues singled out by the Swedish Government before taking up the Presidency. The others were a new chemicals strategy, more environmentally friendly products and climate change – all on the agenda for the Luxembourg meeting.

Chemicals

The Council conclusions on the future chemicals policy underline the obligations of industry to obtain sufficient knowledge and to ensure the safety of chemicals irrespective of directives and other regulations. The financing of a new authorisation regulation system should also be covered by fees levied on industry.

Compared with the Commission’s white paper on chemicals policy, the Council extended the group of chemicals requiring authorisation before use. Authorisation should not only be necessary for substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or cause reproductive disturbances but also for those that are persistent, bio-accumulating and toxic as well as for those that are very persistent and very bio-accumulating (without being toxic) as soon as criteria for these groups have been established. Substances affecting hormone production need to be studied to determine whether they should also be included.

• In its comments on the Commission's green paper on Integrated Product Policy (IPP), the Council stressed not only a market-based approach and voluntary instruments in order to reduce the environmental impact of goods, but also other steering devices such as public procurement and economic instruments. A white paper on IPP is expected from the Commission this autumn. The Council stressed that it must contain clear goals for IPP.

source: http://www.swedenvironment.environ.se/no0103/0103.html#art3 4aug01