Industry Associations Publish Manifesto on Chemical Regulation

Fifteen industry associations have signed a manifesto, calling on the EU legislators to: consider the impact on downstream users when regulating chemicals; enhance market surveillance for fair competition; set as priority the competitiveness of European companies; and foster better regulation.

THE MANIFESTO: CheMI members have called upon the EU legislators to:

• Consider the impact on downstream users when regulating chemicals: We call for policy makers to consider the legislation impact on downstream users particularly on manufacturing industries. This can be achieved by performing comprehensive impact assessments involving the entire value chain, and by setting workable transitional periods for companies to anticipate and implement the changes.
• Enhance market surveillance for fair competition: Our industries invest substantially to be compliant with the EU regulatory framework on chemicals including REACH restrictions. CheMI calls for improvement of Market Surveillance in the EU to ensure that imported products enter the EU market only if they are fully compliant with chemical legislation. Strengthening market surveillance in the EU is necessary for a level playing field, notably: “To better protect EU consumers against unfair practices and harmful products, the EU and the Member States should step up joint enforcement in particular of EU product safety rules.”
• Set as priority the competitiveness of European companies: The competitiveness of European industries should be placed at the core of the EU strategy for the coming years with a view to build and strengthen the strategic resilience of European industry. The Antwerp Declaration calls for “a comprehensive action plan to elevate competitiveness as strategic priority and create the conditions for a stronger business case in Europe.”
• Foster better regulation: CheMI members support legislation which is evidence-based, scientifically sound, targeted and effective. Duplicated and overlapping requirements as well as complex rules should be avoided to alleviate unnecessary burdens for companies, in particular SMEs. We call on the inclusion of all stakeholders of the value chain in developing impact assessments on new legislation, or in preparing secondary legislation and guidance for law implementation.

THOSE WHO SIGNED: The list of signatories includes:

1. AFERA – The European Adhesive Tape Association
2. AQC – Association pour l’assurance qualité des fabricants de bracelets cuir
3. CEC – European Footwear Confederation
4. CITPA – International Confederation of Paper and Board Converters in Europe
5. COTANCE – European Leather Association
6. ECMA – European Carton Makers Association
7. EDANA – the voice of nonwovens
8. ETRMA – European Tyre and Rubber Manufactures Association
9. EURATEX – European Apparel and Textile Confederation
10. FEPE – Federation for envelopes and for light and ecommerce packaging in Europe
11. FEPF – European Federation of Ceramic Table- and Ornamentalware
12. FPE – Flexible Packaging Europe
13. FINAT – International association for the European label industry
14. INTERGRAF – Association for the printing industry
15. MPE – Metal Packaging Europe

THE PLATFORM: CheMI was established in 2003 as the platform for downstream users of chemical substances or mixtures across manufacturing industries.

• CheMI works as a communication channel for producers of articles, materials, components or consumer goods to voice perspectives, concerns and to contribute to the successful implementation of REACH.
• Its members are associations of industries which in total account for over 300,000 European companies, 3 million employees, and generate a turnover of € 500 billion; the members support the EU ambition to continuously improve the regulatory framework on chemicals.