Pulp excluded from EU chemicals law - Finnish paper industry relieved

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The Finnish paper industry breathed a sigh of relief  when the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a chemicals law in Strasbourg on Thursday.
      Under the measure, wood pulp is excluded from the legislation, and falls in the same category as oxygen, coal, and methane, all of which will not need to undergo expensive tests.
      Pertti Laine, head of industrial policy at the Finnish Forest Industries Federation, remains cautious, as the law still has to be passed by the member states. However, all indications are that the member states will not want to impose any changes.
      "Common sense won. This is especially good news for Finnish companies", Laine said.
      "This is truly significant. It is one of the biggest issues that we have pursued", says Esa Hyvärinen, Environment Director for the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI).
      According to previous estimates by CEPI, the inclusion of pulp in the law would have cost the paper industry between 24% and 42% of its turnover.
     
Thursday’s vote was seen as a victory for industry, as the original proposal would have been far more restrictive.
      Hannu Vortamo, head of the Finnish Chemical Industries’ Federation, praised the outcome, although he suspects that the law will cause problems for small and medium-sized companies.
      Finnish MEPs voted in favour of the measure. Even Satu Hassi (Green), who had criticised the proposal as too lax, sees the measure as a step forward, and "better than nothing".
      Riitta Myller (SDP) felt that it was good that the measure shifts "basic responsibility" to the producers of chemicals.
      "It could have gone much worse. Naturally it is quite unfortunate that only 30 percent of the original 30,000 substances are among those to be tested."
     
The issue is important for Finland, both because of the paper industry and because the European Chemical Authority is to be set up in Helsinki. However, this can only happen when the new legislation has been given final approval.
      In its vote on Thursday, the European Parliament gave its backing to a model under which the authority would have a more important role than previously planned.
      The Chemical Authority could begin operations in 2007 if the member states reach agreement on the law in December.
      The aim of the proposal, which is to replace about 40 old EU laws, is to test and register chemicals imported into the EU or produced in EU member states.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Competition heating up over EU Chemical Authority (4.3.2005)
  European Commission supports strong chemical authority (20.1.2005)
  Expansion of Chemicals Authority responsibilities receives support within EU (18.5.2004)
  France and Sweden disagree on size of EU Chemicals Authority to be situated in Helsinki (17.5.2004)

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