With their decision on the EU chemicals strategy, the European environment ministers have largely supported the very far-reaching goals of the EU Commission to amend the chemicals law. The chemical-pharmaceutical industry is again calling for more sense of proportion for the coming reforms.

The Managing Director of the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), Wolfgang Große Entrup, emphasizes that the industry needs stability in chemicals law: “The goals of the chemicals strategy can also be achieved within the existing legal framework. The advantages and disadvantages of changes must therefore be carefully examined and assessed in the planned impact assessments. We warmly welcome the establishment of a round table for all interest groups - provided that there are unbiased discussions. "

For the chemical and pharmaceutical industry and their customers in downstream industrial value chains, the EU chemicals strategy will have massive effects if it is implemented unchanged. From the VCI's point of view, the EU chemicals strategy is characterized by a regulatory approach that is heavily based on the hazardous properties of chemicals. This could mean that entire groups of substances could be banned from the market, regardless of whether their use actually poses a risk. The strategy does not take sufficient account of the fact that substances with hazardous properties can also be handled safely and are indispensable for many everyday applications.

Große Entrup: “A strong chemical and pharmaceutical industry with its innovative products is essential to strengthen the EU's resilience to future crises and to achieve the ambitious goals of the EU Commission's Green Deal. This applies, for example, to climate protection and the supply of high-quality pharmaceuticals."

In their resolution, the environment ministers demand, among other things, that the European chemicals regulation REACH be specifically adapted. The timetable for the REACH revision is already on the table. At the end of this year, the EU Commission also wants to begin the process of revising the CLP regulation, which regulates the classification and labeling of substances.