The Chemical Industries Association (CIA), the organisation that represents chemical and pharmaceutical businesses across the UK, has stated its disappointment at today’s European  Commission announcement of the review into the wide-ranging chemical legislation known as REACH – Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals.

“What we need and were promised from REACH is a piece of legislation that would encompass the many and varied pieces of law affecting working with chemicals making it easier for businesses, NGO’s, trade unions, governments and others to understand and work with. Some 5 years after the introduction of REACH we still don’t have that.” said Dr Joanne Lloyd, Director of Chemicals Policy at the CIA.

Lloyd continued “This 5-year review which was supposed to deal with the anomalies has fallen far short of providing the necessary clarity. We urgently need the Commission to tackle the regulatory minefield so that we can all be clear on what the law is. We will be setting out these concerns in detail to the Environment Directorate General of the European Commission and to UK MEP’s. This will have a disastrous effect on smaller companies who will be hit by the next round of REACH implementation which assess chemicals produced and imported in smaller quantities”.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

www.cia.org.uk

http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/chemicals/documents/reach/review2012/index_en.htm

For an interview with/further comment from Jo Lloyd please call Simon Marsh on 07951 389197