EU Parliament Upholds REACH Regulations For Chemical Industry - AFP

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After three years of heated debate, the European Parliament began Tuesday the final phase of approving controversial new rules on the use of chemicals to better protect people and the environment. The parliament's environment committee voted to stand by a more ecologically friendly version of the regulations by insisting that industry endeavour to phase out the most dangerous chemicals.

The so-called REACH regulation (registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals) will oblige companies to register all chemicals they use and provide information about them as well as any potential hazards.

A draft version was approved by European Union governments in December, with the hope that the measures could enter into force next year, but it was condemned by ecolgosists and health campaigners. Industry lobby groups have also worked tirelessly to influence the text.

The committee backed a "substitution principle" that only allows harzardous products under three conditions: there must be no safer alternative, the benefits must outweigh the risks and the risks must be "adequately controlled".

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