CHEMICAL BALANCE MUST BE STRUCK

2.12.37pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th May 2003

Latest plans by the European Commission for new laws to check on the safety of chemicals have been given a cautious welcome by Nick Clegg, Euro-MP for the East Midlands.

The final draft legislation, due to be published later this year, calls for testing procedures to ensure that tens of thousands of chemicals used in household goods and by industry cause no harm to public health or the environment.

But chemical manufacturers across Europe fear that the costs will be excessive, damaging the industry's competitive position and risking jobs.

Liberal Democrat MEP Nick Clegg said that it is important to strike a balance, and to ensure that the final shape of the law, which will take some two years to be agreed, will reflect a sensible order of priorities.

He said: "It is astonishing that we have moved into the 21st century still with tens of thousands of chemicals in daily use for which we have no publicly available data. "

"How can we ensure the long term protection of peoples' health and safeguard the world's environment if we don't even have this most basic knowledge."

"The European Commission wants industry to take responsibility for assessing the risks of chemicals. Currently public authorities have to identify and deal with safety issues."

"Manufacturers and importers will have to keep a record to show they are managing their chemical substances safely, and carry out an assessment of the risks for human health and the environment."

"Nick Clegg said: "The chemical industry is of huge importance to the British economy, as both an employer and an innovator.

"In preparing the extensive programme of testing chemicals, we must ensure that the final shape of the EU legislation strikes a realistic balance between the need to protect the environment and consumer health, whilst maintaining commercial competitiveness."

Contact: Ailsa Bishop 0115 846 0660/07855 173313