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EU chemical testing plan will "kill innovation"

Environment Daily 1053, 05/09/01

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High costs attached to European Commission proposals for enhanced testing of up to 30,000 "existing" chemicals "would probably kill development of new products in Europe and severely reduce the role of traders," a business group has warned. The Austrian economic chamber (WKO) called for safeguards to reduce impacts on smaller companies.

WKO's statement on the Commission's February white paper on EU chemicals policy was launched yesterday in the European parliament, where debate is getting under way on a plan by Swedish MEP Inger SchF6rling to strengthen the proposed testing requirements even further.

A broader response to the white paper based on WKO's position is expected to emerge shortly from the European representative body for national chambers of commerce, Eurochambres. WKO's focus on the costs of improved chemicals testing echoes earlier statements from chemical producers' association Cefic. Whereas the Commission's white paper puts required expenditure at euros 2.1bn over 30 years, Cefic estimated the real total would exceed euros 20bn.

According to WKO, the Commission may not have taken into account a series of costs set to fall on business under the new policy. These include staff costs for dedicated personnel to manage projects and fees and charges levied by national authorities for notifications or assessments.

The cost of generating hazard data packages will be higher than the Commission estimates, the Austrian body adds. "Base-set" testing of chemicals produced in small quantities will cost up to euros 100,000 per substance, it says, and not euros 85,000 as the Commission says. More detailed "level 1" testing will cost euros 300,000 rather than euros 250,000, and the most detailed "level 2" tests up to euros 800,000 or even more rather than the Commission's figure of euros 350,000.

WKO's prescription for dealing with these costs is to maintain flexibility over how much testing is required for specific chemicals by putting a greater emphasis on assessing risks rather than hazards and ensuring that data requirements are kept proportional to exposure routes and potential risks.

Industry "should be given the opportunity to propose its own deadlines for data package provision," it says, and the EU should do more to build on existing international review programmes. There should also be specific data sharing provisions to minimise the cost burden on small enterprises.

Follow-up: WKO http://wko.at/, tel: +43 1 50105