Environment:
REACH |
July 2006 COTANCE is ready for the 2nd Reading of the European Parliament regarding REACH REACH is going to have a significant impact on chemicals' using industries and notably on the tanning industry in the EU. COTANCE has been advocating changes to the initiative of the European Commission since the launch of the White Paper and throughout the legislative process including the first reading in the EU Parliament. Many improvements have been achieved in this process that go from the exclusion from the scope of vegetable tannins (as far as they are polymers), to the strengthening of the downstream user position in the supply chain, reducing much of his administrative burden and the risks of economic deselection of performance chemicals. These results have been achieved thanks to a wise mix of lobbying techniques involving also external partners (UNICE, CEFIC, Chemi...). The Chemi Platform is such a partner. COTANCE was one of its founding members. Whith Chemi our industry gather together with likeminded sectors creating a mass of SME's and employment capable to influence decision makers on points that are relevant for them and that are not necessarily put forward by other stakeholders. The Chemi Platform has grown in members since its creation gaining relevance and authority. The Chemi Platform has now adopted its Position for the EU Parliament 2nd Reading (revised 09/06 version). Its objective is to achieve Members of the EU Parliament submitting amendments to the current text along the lines put forward in the Chemi Position Statement. These should be tabled from now until the 11 of September, deadline for this exercise. |
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Press Release - October 2004 EESC open its doors to Industry on REACHToday, 20 of October 2004, the new building of the European Economic and Social Committee opened its doors to the Industry sectors that are highly concerned by the New Chemicals Regulation proposed by the Commission- known as the REACH system. The Public Hearing that took place at its premises gathered representatives of several industries, in its majority downstream users of chemicals. The audience of about 200 people was composed by civil society and members of the EP, the Commission and even some Member States’ representatives. The meeting was introduced by Mr Michel Nollet, President of the Study Group on REACH and chaired by the rapporteur and co-rapporteur. During the two sessions, various industries (metals, minerals, paper, leather and textiles, rubber, semi-conductor and automobile industries) joined their voices claiming for a revision of the REACH system. They called for a legislative proposal that will not pose a disproportionate burden for companies in Europe, forcing them to delocalise and pushing them out of the market. The weakness of existing impact assessments, the issues of deselection of substances, substances in Articles, competitiveness, innovation, de-industrialisation where common and strong arguments in addition to workability issues, i.e. clear definitions of the scope, as in the case of the concept of “chemically modified”. The Leather sector was represented by COTANCE Secretary General, Mr Gonzalez-Quijano as a speaker and Ms Carballeira, Environmental Affairs Manager, in the audience. Mr González-Quijano introduced to the public the difficult problematic in the leather value chain, a fashion sector that uses about 2000 individual substances and some 6000 preparations and which faces fierce competition from abroad. The points stressed by the leather industry were echoed by other sectors, “prioritisation by risk” was mentioned and the fact that “substances in articles” should be better controlled. The general feeling at the end of the hearing was that everybody should be playing at the same level in the marketplace, otherwise Europe’s industries will be facing a bleak outlook. For more information: http://www.esc.eu.int/ccmi/audition_events/reach20102004/index_en.htm Press Release - March 2004 Europe’s manufacturing industries call for more balanced and workable rules in a Conference on REACH Conference
REACH and Downstream users When COTANCE decided to promote a platform of industries that use chemicals in their production chain, it was because it felt that the interests of Europe’s manufacturing sector were not taken into consideration at all in the context of the EU Review of the Chemicals Policy. This was the straightforward claim put forward by this platform of European industry associations (CheMI) ranging from leather, textiles & clothing, flexible packaging, paper, printing, rubber industry, toys, furniture, carton and self-adhesive labels and tapes (see Associations hereunder). Much has been done since in our favor, more needs to be done. The European Commission’s legislative proposals will have an impact on industry that is not confined to higher costs for substances and preparations. Their sheer availability is at risk and, as a result, also the viability of value chains in Europe for which particular substances are key to their competitiveness on global markets, i.e. the leather industry. Without these substances, many enterprises will have no alternative but to close down and / or relocate their business. The losses for an enlarging Europe will be irremediable in terms of jobs and wealth creation. At the end of the day, the losers will be Europe’s consumers, who will have to resort increasingly to products sourced from outside the EU and manufactured under significantly lower environmental and product safety standards. 17th February 2004 was the date chosen by CheMI to hold a mass conference at the premises of the hotel President in Brussels. The conference was chaired by our colleagues of the textile sector, EURATEX, and it gathered representatives from the European Commission (DG ENV and DG ENTR), from the Parliament, from industry and other stakeholders and experts, well over 130. Different sectors from CheMI (leather, textiles, rubber and flexible packaging) expressed their views and concerns on the new system, they addressed the deselection problem, the excessive administrative burden, ect…. however the Commission had also its turn, waiving the program for the Interim period and the niceties of the new regulation, and therefore the debate was served. The conference was a success. CheMI called for caution as the current text of the Draft Regulation risks to shatter the competitiveness of the European industry, in its majority SMEs, and this will oppose in nature the principles set at the Lisbon Council. “Our only hope is that the European Parliament redresses the situation. At this stage we intend to hammer out a better deal for the many thousands of tanneries and millions of jobs that depend upon the availability of chemicals at affordable prices, and notably we have to make sure that de-selection of chemicals takes place just by environmental reasons and not by economic ones” COTANCE’s Secretary General, Mr González-Quijano, points out.Associations: COTANCE :
info@euroleather.com |