| 03/11/2005
- Norway is considering use of its veto right to reject
the new EU chemicals legislation, known as REACH, if it
continues to be weakened.
The REACH legislation has been at
the centre of one of the most heated debates in the history
of the EU. The chemical industry has been lobbying heavily
to water down the legislation ignoring health and environmental
considerations.
Speaking last night on Norwegian television, Minister
for the Environment Mrs. Helen Bjørnøy said
that "if the regulation becomes too weak and if we
do not consider it defendable then we will use our veto-right."
As a non-EU-member state, Norway has the veto-right to
reject new EU-legislation meaning that REACH will not
become part of Norwegian legislation.
This is a damning criticism of how a piece of legislation
designed to protect human health and the environment is
on the verge of being rendered unworkable due to industry
lobbying.
However there is still a few weeks until the crucial vote
and Mrs Bjørnøy said "We are using
all the energy and possibilities we have to influence
the development of the REACH. I do this together with
countries that have exactly the same interests - to get
a regulation which is as good as possible.
This is a regulation we need because it goes beyond national
borders. The toxics come to us via air and water, and
therefore we need common regulations for the world."
The interview was broadcast Monday, October 31 on NRK
(Norwegian national television) at 19.30 in the programme
"HelsePuls" as part of a report about WWF’s
family bloodtesting. |
