Stacks of old oil tanks for background and texture.
CHEM Trust is currently focussing its efforts on the EU chemicals policy and legislative agenda relating to industrial chemicals, food contact chemicals, pesticides and biocides. We’re particularly focussed on the implementation of EU legislation on endocrine disrupting chemicals.
We also work to highlight the need for the Circular economy to include processes to address hazardous chemicals. Finally, we work to ensure that Brexit does not result in weaker regulation of chemicals within the UK.
In addition to our participation in the EEB’s chemicals working group, we are also part of the EDC Free network and Break Free From Plastic.
The EEB’s chemical working group is a vital forum for discussion and development of EU chemicals policy. It’s one of the reasons why the NGOs working on chemicals collaborate so effectively and helps to ensure that we have maximum impact on EU chemicals policy.
The EEB’s broader work on better regulation and sustainable development, and linked work on the circular economy, product policy and industrial pollution, are also important to ensure policy coherence.
We have been highlighting for four years that EU’s regulations on chemicals in food contact materials (like packaging) are inadequate, with materials like paper and card not properly covered & chemicals identified as being ‘very high concern’ in REACH are still used in food packaging.
The Commission’s DG Health has finally announced that it will be reviewing the laws in this area (which date back to 1976), though they are moving very slowly… (see www.chemtrust.org/food-contact)
Emma Ernsth, Membership and Development Manager, European Environmental Bureau