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Regulating Chemical Risk: REACH in a Global Governance Perspective

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Regulating Chemical Risks

Abstract

This chapter analyses the EU REACH Regulation as a blueprint for an international model of risk governance. It reviews the institutional set-up of REACH, documenting a shift of decision-making authority away from the State level towards the private and European level, and explains why the Member States of the EU agreed to limit their decision-making power. It then considers the potential for REACH to be exported beyond EU boundaries, contemplates two globalisation models, and discusses one of the challenges of the proliferation of REACH as a global standard. The chapter argues that, while the adoption of REACH abroad may bring improvements in trade relations and health and environmental protection, these benefits risk to be substantially reduced and even reversed if REACH is incorporated in an institutional setting that is not equipped to deal with its managerial and administrative demands.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances [1967] OJ 196/1.

  2. 2.

    Sixth Amendment to Dir. 67/548/EEC [1979] OJ L259/10.

  3. 3.

    Directive 93/67/EEC laying down the Principles for Assessment of Risks to Man and the Environment of Substances Notified in accordance with Council Directive 67/548/EEC [1993] OJ L227/9.

  4. 4.

    Cx [2000] ECR I-9741.

  5. 5.

    Directive 76/769/EEC on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to Restrictions on the Marketing and Use of Certain Dangerous Substances and Preparations [1976] OJ L 262/201.

  6. 6.

    Regulation 793/93/EEC on the Evaluation and Control of the Risks of Existing Substances [1993] OJ L84/1.

  7. 7.

    See Commission Communication to the Council and the EP – The European Chemicals Bureau [1993] OJ C1/3.

  8. 8.

    [1998] OJ L131/11.

  9. 9.

    Commission Working Document – Report on the operation of Directive 67/548/EEC, Directive 88/379/EEC, Regulation (EEC) 793/93, Directive 76/769/EEC SEC(1998)1986, 18 Nov. 1998.

  10. 10.

    Commission Working Document – Report on the operation of Directive 67/548/EEC, Directive 88/379/EEC, Regulation (EEC) 793/93, Directive 76/769/EEC SEC(1998)1986, 18 Nov. 1998.

  11. 11.

    See Commission Communication on Implementing the Lisbon Programme: A Strategy for the Simplification of the Regulatory Environment COM (2005)535, 25 Oct. 2005.

  12. 12.

    Commission Communication on Updating and Simplifying the Community Acquis COM (2003)71, 11 Feb. 2003.

  13. 13.

    Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (Reach), establishing a European Chemicals Agency and amending Directive 1999/45/EC and Regulation (EC) {on Persistent Organic Pollutants} {SEC(2003 1171} COM (2003) 644 , 29 Oct. 2003.

  14. 14.

    In a Q&A on REACH, the Commission explicitly confirmed that ‘the EU has taken a constructive international leadership role on chemicals safety and REACH has the potential to inspire new standards worldwide. European Commission (2006) Q&A on the New Chemicals Policy, REACH, MEMO/06/488. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/488.

  15. 15.

    Commission Working Document – Report on the operation of Directive 67/548/EEC, Directive 88/379/EEC, Regulation (EEC) 793/93, Directive 76/769/EEC SEC(1998)1986, 18 Nov. 1998.

  16. 16.

    Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Registration of Chemicals (REACH), establishing a European Chemicals Agency, amending Directive 1999/45/EC and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) No 793/93 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1488/94 as well as Council Directive 76/769/EEC and Commission Directives 91/155/EEC, 93/67/EEC, 93/105/EC and 2000/21/EC [2006] OJ L396/1 (‘REACH’).

  17. 17.

    Carcinogens, mutagens, and reprotoxins.

  18. 18.

    Although some aspects of chemicals control, such as classification, packaging and labelling, remain outside its remit.

  19. 19.

    EUOBserver (2006) EU Chemicals Bill Under Fire From US-Led Coalition. http://www.euobserver.com.

  20. 20.

    Directive 67/548/EEC on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions relating to the Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Substances [1967] OJ 196/1.

  21. 21.

    Directive 93/67/EEC laying down the Principles for Assessment of Risks to Man and the Environment of Substances Notified in accordance with Council Directive 67/548/EEC [1993] OJ L227/9.

  22. 22.

    Even though, at the stage of notification and now registration, the competent authority is only expected to perform a completeness check, ample documentary evidence reveals that the responsibilities of NRAs in the course of notification went far beyond box-ticking. Notification of problematic new substances would often lead to intense exchanges between the notifier and the NRA, at times causing the former to rethink its marketing plans for the new substance. See Commission Working Document, n. 15 above, p. II-1 and II-18.

  23. 23.

    Regulation 793/93/EEC on the Evaluation and Control of the Risks of Existing Substances [1993] OJ L84/1.

  24. 24.

    See, e.g., REACH, Art. 44 in fine.

  25. 25.

    REACH, Art. 58. Alternatively, member states may (but are not obliged to) conduct own initiative identifications (REACH, Art. 59).

  26. 26.

    Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission [1999] OJ L184/23, Art. 5(a).

  27. 27.

    Ibid., Art. 3.

  28. 28.

    Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission [1999] OJ L184/23, Art. 5.

  29. 29.

    And, post-Maastricht, via Council and European Parliament amendments pursuant to Article 251 EC.

  30. 30.

    Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission [1999] OJ L184/23, Art. 5.

  31. 31.

    Art. 5(3) TEU.

  32. 32.

    See, e.g., information on the UK Environmental Ministry website. Available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/chemicals/reach/qanda/implementation.htm.

  33. 33.

    I am grateful to Elizabeth Fisher for this observation.

  34. 34.

    EUOBserver (2006) EU Chemicals Bill Under Fire From US-Led Coalition. http://www.euobserver.com.

  35. 35.

    Case (WT/DS26/AB/R and WT/DS48/AB/R) European Communities – Measures Affecting Meat/Livestock and Meat Products (Hormones), and Case (WT/DS291, WT/DS292 and WT/DS293) EC – Measures Affecting the Approval and Marketing of Biotech Products.

  36. 36.

    European Comission (2006) Q&A on the New Chemicals Policy, REACH, MEMO/06/488. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/488.

  37. 37.

    Although, see Euractiv (2008) US Eyes REACH-Style Law for Chemicals. http://www.euractiv.com/en/environment/us-eyes-reach-style-law-chemicals/article-172968.

  38. 38.

    Also, see ENDS Europe Daily (2007) Switzerland Mulls Adoption of REACH-Lite. http://www.endseuropedaily.com/articles/index.cfm.

  39. 39.

    To an extent, similar considerations apply to the adoption of marketing and use restrictions. However, regulatory authorities retain greater control over the development, timing and pacing of proposals for new restrictions than they have in application processes instigated by private parties.

  40. 40.

    See ENDS Europe Daily, EU Chemicals Agency Could Go Bust By 2011.

  41. 41.

    Consider the relevance of the ‘undue delay’ factor in the WTO GMO dispute, see Euractiv (2006) EU Accepts Trade Ruling on GMOs. http://www.euractiv.com/en/trade/eu-accepts-trade-ruling-gmos/article-159918.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Law, London School of Economics (LSE), Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom

    Veerle Heyvaert

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  1. Veerle Heyvaert
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Correspondence to Veerle Heyvaert .

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  1. , Department of Political Science, Södertörn University, Alfred Nobels allé 7, Flemingsberg, 14189, Sweden

    Johan Eriksson

  2. , Department of Political Science, Södertörn University, Alfred Nobels allé 7, Flemingsberg, 14189, Sweden

    Michael Gilek

  3. , Philosophy Unit, Royal Institute of Technology, Teknikringen 78B, Stockholm, 10044, Sweden

    Christina Rudén

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Heyvaert, V. (2010). Regulating Chemical Risk: REACH in a Global Governance Perspective. In: Eriksson, J., Gilek, M., Rudén, C. (eds) Regulating Chemical Risks. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9428-5_13

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