Chemicals Package means exposing people to hazardous chemicals for corporate profit
The Left in the European Parliament strongly condemns the European Commission’s proposals on the Chemicals Package. These proposals are clearly the result of a very strong lobby by the chemicals industry, notably Cefic (The European Chemical Industry Council), who have long been calling for a roll back of the European Green Deal.
As part of their so-called ‘competitiveness agenda’, the Commission has adopted a new omnibus simplification package relating to chemicals, as well as an Action plan for the chemicals industry, which jeopardise public health and the environment. In a total surrender to the lobbies, the Commission even rolls back hard-fought wins by the Parliament in the latest review of the ‘Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures regulation’ (CLP) which were only just agreed last year. In practice, this means that for hazardous chemicals, companies will be able to use smaller fonts for key health and environmental warnings, endangering consumers. On cosmetics, the Commission intends to allow more hazardous substances, including carcinogens, mutagens and reprotoxic (CMRs) in cosmetic products, and will ease notifications on nanomaterials.
Speaking in the European Parliament today, MEP Per Clausen (Enhedslisten, Denmark) who will be The Left’s rapporteur on the upcoming REACH review, said: “Whenever the European Commission talks about chemicals policy I am struck with anger and frustration. Any consideration for people and the environment completely fades into the background. Instead the only mantra they use is the importance of making things easy for chemical corporations. That is the opposite of due diligence – it is pure irresponsibility. It means that future generations will have to pay the price for our neglect.”
