Answer given by Mr Sinkevicius on behalf of the European Commission
17.5.2022
The Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability[1] aims at advancing the transition to chemicals that are safe and sustainable on the basis of a coherent, predictable and stronger regulatory framework.
The Commission is committed to keeping an integrated view, taking into consideration all the objectives of the green transition, ensuring complementarity and avoiding duplication.
For example, the Commission proposal for a regulation on Ecodesign for Sustainable Products[2] addresses circularity challenges related to the presence of substances of concerns in products and thus promotes substitution of unsustainable chemicals without prejudice to regulatory action based on chemical safety .
This proposal is coherent with other pieces of legislation, such as the regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)[3] and the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive[4].
The proposal requires the Commission, when setting requirements for a specific product, to take close account of both safety implications and existing chemical provisions.
A similar exercise on coherence and complementarity between the safety and sustainability dimensions is taking place during the preparation of the proposals for the revision of REACH and the Classification, Labelling and Packaging[5] Regulation.
For example, the Commission will assess introducing information requirements on the environmental or carbon footprints of chemicals in REACH.
The Commission is also supporting the aspirational objective for the chemicals industry on climate neutrality[6] through different regulatory frameworks and various financial instruments, such as Horizon Europe[7] and the Innovation Fund[8].
- [1] https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/chemicals-strategy_en
- [2] Adopted on 30 March 2022, https://ec.europa.eu/info/energy-climate-change-environment/standards-tools-and-labels/products-labelling-rules-and-requirements/sustainable-products/ecodesign-sustainable-products_en
- [3] Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). OJ L 396, 30.12.2006, p. 1.
- [4] Directive 2011/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, OJ L 174, 1.7.2011, p. 88.
- [5] Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, OJ L 353, 31.12.2008, p. 1.
- [6] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on ‘Sustainable Carbon Cycles’, p. 17, https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2021)800&lang=en
- [7] https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en
- [8] https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/funding-climate-action/innovation-fund_en