EU white papers

EU White Paper on Chemicals Policy http //europa.eu.int.comm/environ-ment/chemicals/whitepaper.htm. 

Following receipt of data the Commission drew up priority lists of substances that, on the basis of that data, were thought to have the potential to pose a risk of harm to human health or the environment. By the publication of the EU White Paper in 2001, four lists, containing a total of 141 substances, had been adopted by the relevant technical committee (CEC, 2001). The progress of these risk assessments was very slow. Risk assessment of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), for example, commenced in 1997 but was still not completed nine years later (ENDS, 2006). In 2006 around 16,700 tonnes of HBCD were produced every year for use as a flame retardant. It may have neurotoxic effects and interfere with the metabolism of thyroid hormone, but because risk assessment of it had not reached a conclusion there were no restrictions on its use. By 2006 final risk assessment reports were available for only about 70 substances (European Commission, 2006b) — less than 0.5 per cent of the 30,000 or so existing substances on the European market at quantities of above 1 tonne per annum. 

The EU White Paper policy on chemical (from 2001 ahead) wants to identify hazards of all chemicals on the market greater than 1 tone (EU-COM, 2008). In this respect, (Q)SARs methods have been found most useful for identifying these hazards to limit animal testing, since the current policy... 

On 13 February 2001 the European Commission adopted the much-discussed White Paper Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy (a. 10). The current EU chemical control measures were considered to result in too great a disparity between new and existing substances, with the high cost of new substance notification stifling innovation. Furthermore, although existing substances account for >99% by volume of chemicals in commerce, they were considered to be relatively poorly assessed and controlled in comparison with new substances. 

This presentation discusses current EU chemical legislation and examines the shortcomings of some of the regulations in place with respect to dangerous chemicals. The Commission White Paper is discussed, and in particular, the REACH system which involves the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals used in food-contact applications. The impact of the REACH system on food-contact plastic manufacturers is examined, with respect to suppliers of monomers and additives, plastic manufacturers, converters and packagers. 

The SubChem project was developed in the context of discovered deficits in regulating, assessing and dealing with chemicals in Germany and Europe. The project work coincided with review of the EU chemicals pohcy with the result that the initial scientific results of SubChem were also able to contribute to the political process surrounding the chemicals White Paper and the REACH ordinance. 

On 29 October 2003, the Commission adopted a proposal for a new EU regulatory framework for chemicals, the so-called REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorisation of CHemicals). This new regulatory framework achieved all the objectives identified in the White Paper (EU 2001) and thus represents a model of sustainable development by pursuing its three main goals economic (industrial competitiveness), social (health protection and jobs), and environmental. 

EES A. 2006. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) website. http /www.efsa.europa.eu EU. 2000. Communication from the Commission on the Precautionary Principle. Brussels, 2.02.2000, COM (2000) 1. http /ec.europa.eu/dgs/health consumer/library/pub/pub07 en.pdf EU. 2001. White Paper on the Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy, http //ec.europa.eu/consumers/ cons safe/prod safe/other EU/chem policy en.htm... 

The general public policy approach to technology, discussed in the previous chapter, can be seen in the attitudes of the UK government and the EU Commission towards synthetic chemicals. The UK government s chemicals strategy (DETR, 1999) and the European Commission White Paper on chemicals (CEC,... 

The White Paper recognized that certain chemicals may be having significant effects on the health of humans and wildlife and that there is a lack of knowledge about the impacts of many chemicals, described as a huge gap in knowledge of substances (CEC, 2001, p5). With respect to the EU risk assessment process, described as slow and resource-intensive (CEC, 2001, p6), the White Paper made the following specific criticisms ... 

The EU Commission White Paper (CEC, 2001) says that chemicals bring about benefits on which modern society is entirely dependent, for example in food production, medicines, textiles, cars, etc (CEC, 2001, p4). The EU trade surplus in chemicals and the number of people employed directly and indirectly by the EU chemicals industry are also counted as benefits. These ideas of what counts as a benefit are critically examined in Chapter 8. 

European Commission. 2001. White paper. Strategy for a future chemicals policy, http // europa.eu.int/comm/environment/chemicals/0188 en.pdf (accessed December 2, 2003). 

Anon., white paper, Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy(COM(2001)88 final, 2001, www.europa.eu.int/ comm/environment/chemicals/whitepaper.htm... 

Applegate (2008) focuses on the three decades between the CEQ and TSCA in 1971/1976, and the White Paper and REACH in 2001/2006, respectively, and analyzes the pairs as thesis and antithesis. Evidently, REACH is a reaction, but more to previous EU law than to TSCA, even if there were similarities between these. 

White Paper on the for approximation with EU laws public... 

By focussing on filling the gaps in hazard data for chemicals on the EU market, the European Commission White Paper for a future EU Chemicals Strategy completely overlooked four fundamental questions, developed in Box 5.2. 

Taking into account that biomass resources can be produced (in a sustainable way) by good practice with yields in the range of S-10 Toe/ha per year, bioenergy contribution to the primary energy needs may be substantial by 2010 - according to White Paper recommendations - bioenergy should provide in the EU 135 Mtoe/year. 

Last but not least, there has been an issue of the regulatory environment that cannot be avoided (Paal 1987). Hungary is an associated country to the European Union (EU). Harmonization of the present Hungarian medicines legal system with that of the EU, with special emphasis on the White Paper harmonization requirements (European Commission 1995) requires a more detailed discussion. 

EC (2001). Commission of the European Communities, White paper—Strategy for a future chemicals policy. Brussels, 27.2.2001, COM(2001)88final, http //eurlex.eutopa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2001/... 

European Commission, The White Paper on the strategy for a future Chemicals Policy, COM (2001) 88 final, 27 February 2001 (available at http //europa.eu.int/ comm/enterprise/chemicals/chempol/whitepaper/white-paper.htm). 

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