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Balanced legislation can stimulate sustainable development
Brussels, August 14, 2002 - The chlorine industry is concerned that the EU Chemicals Policy Review preoccupation with the environment will weaken efforts to achieve a balanced and fair chemicals legislation. Euro Chlor, which represents producers, believes that in order to stimulate sustainability, new chemicals legislation must also recognise socio-economic impacts. Dr Barrie S Gilliatt (Executive Director of Euro Chlor) says the federation's members support appropriate measures to protect human health and the environment but were against decisions based "not on science but on political expediency or pressure from special interests that are not always representative of society at large." Writing in Euro Chlor's newly-published annual industry review, Dr Gilliatt comments: "We recognise that society is influenced by a complex range of factors and will often make decisions based more on emotion than science." Notwithstanding this, he maintains that "sustainability is best served when all parties are willing to recognise realities - scientific, social, political, economic and environmental." Dr Gilliatt believes that particular care must be taken during the policy review process since recent legislative moves will make it more difficult and costly for chemical producers to maintain existing products or to bring new substances to market. "If innovation is stifled, the consumer will ultimately suffer in terms of less choice and less effective or more costly products." One practical example of how regulations can adversely affect choice is that of caustic soda, an essential co-product in the manufacture of chlorine. Caustic soda was widely used during the foot and mouth epidemic in Europe, but its total use as a biocide represents less that 0.1% of European sales of this chemical. Earlier this year, producers decided that the cost of registration (Euro 100,000 - 250,000) under the EU Biocidal Products Directive outweighed the small market for this application (NB. caustic soda is primarily used for food production, water treatment and the manufacture of organic and inorganic chemicals, pulp and paper, cellulose, synthetic fibres, aluminium, soaps, bleaches and mineral oils). During the past year, Euro Chlor has strengthened its scientific resources in order to provide expert input to several European and global regulatory and voluntary initiatives. These include the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) voluntary High Production Volume (HPV) chemicals initiative and the EU Chemicals Policy Review. For the HPV initiative, Euro Chlor is coordinating support for 41 out of 96 global consortia of companies manufacturing chlorinated substances. These consortia are developing internationally-agreed data and initial hazard assessments on 150 chlorinated chemicals. For the Chemicals Policy Review, the federation is providing expert input on the risk assessment process and definitions of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) chemicals. Length: 430 words Information: Dr Barrie Gilliatt, Executive DirectorTel: + 32 2 676 73 50; Fax: + 32 2 676 72 41; email: bgi@cefic.be Footnote to EditorsFootnote to Editors: Euro Chlor represents 93 industrial companies employing more than 40,000 people across 21 countries. The sector produces more than 20 million tonnes a year of chlorine, caustic soda and hydrogen. It underpins 55-60% of European chemical industry turnover (2000: EUR 488,000 million). Chlorine Industry Review 2001-2002: Available electronically on the Euro Chlor website (www.eurochlor.org ) in the section Chlorine Industry. Illustrations: The diagrams and pie charts listed below for Western Europe in 2001 can be downloaded from the Internet (see Review above) on the Euro Chlor website (click on the image and save to your computer):
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