EU Commission releases Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability

Here is what we think about the international aspects in the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.

Today the new Chemicals for Sustainability Strategy has been published by the EU Commission. We welcome that it contains many forward-thinking points and some concrete action points. However, on international chemicals policy we can see mostly business as usual and no clear measures which would demonstrate international leadership, as stated in the document.

Amid a global chemical crisis, where the size of the chemical industry is projected to double by 2030, hazardous chemicals are still released in large quantities, already globally banned chemicals appear in new products as a result of unsafe recycling, hazardous wastes and chemicals are traded globally including via illegal channels, and millions of lives and the ecosystem are severely damaged, the EU Commission does not step up enough to tackle this crisis.

The mentioned international cooperation and partnerships require mainstreaming of chemicals in development programmes and other funding schemes and policy processes. The EU Commission does not mention a solution on how to raise the urgently needed funds for remediation, capacity building, awareness raising and implementation of projects on chemicals and waste. HEJSupport expects the EU Commission to push for that in the negotiations for the SAICM successor and to reform the Special Programme. A global fund for exposure reduction to internalize cost of polluting industry and to implement the polluter pays principle would be a significant step forward.

The EU and its Member States are powerful actors globally, and as region with major chemicals producers and users they have an obligation to become a global leader for a toxic-free environment.

Read our submission of our demands to the EU Commission here.

See here, what a group of NGOs, including HEJSupport, requested in their letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

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