The UK Government has claimed that it would not weaken EU environmental laws when transferring them into UK law in the event of a no-deal Brexit, with Secretary of State Michael Gove stating that “We will deliver a Green Brexit, where environmental standards are not only maintained but enhanced“. However, CHEM Trust’s analysis is that [...]
Trade
Today saw the publication of a draft Political Declaration, setting out the framework for a future relationship between the EU and the UK. The declaration, which will guide negotiations following the UK’s departure from the EU, includes a commitment to ‘explore the possibility of co-operation of the UK with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)‘, and states that [...]
The UK Conservative Party Conference this week was dominated by the major hurdles of Brexit, chiefly the Irish border, immigration policy and trade. However, chemicals continued to feature in discussions across the conference, from small fringe events on environment and trade up to the main stage address from Environment Minister Michael Gove. The deep divisions [...]
On Thursday 1st February, UK politicians gathered in Westminster Hall to debate the future of UK chemical regulations after Brexit. A strong case was made for the business, health and environmental benefits of staying in the EU’s world-leading chemicals regulation system REACH. The Chair of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), Mary Creagh [...]
On 29th September the chemicals policy journal Chemical Watch are organising a conference in London on “Post-Brexit options for UK chemicals law“. The conference has been organised in conjunction with CHEM Trust and the technology industry trade association Tech UK. The event will bring together a wide range of experts and stakeholders, including speakers from industry, [...]
We are all exposed to hundreds of man-made chemicals in our daily life, coming from everyday products including furniture, packaging and clothes. The aim of chemicals regulation is to try and establish which of these chemicals are dangerous, and then to put in place measures to ensure that they are used safely, or not used [...]
The long process of establishing EU criteria to identify hormone (endocrine) disrupting chemicals (EDCs) continues to stutter forward, with a new proposed texts from the European Commission. These texts, coming just a few weeks since the last texts, fail to address our concerns regarding the burden of proof needed, and introduce a whole new loophole which [...]
Nearly 100 leading scientists from universities and research institutes around the world have joined forces to underline the urgent need for action on climate change and hormone (endocrine) disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In a commentary, ‘Let’s stop the manipulation of science‘, (also available in French), published by Le Monde last week, they warn that vested interests are wilfully distorting the [...]
Today, Monday 22nd February, the 12th negotiation round on the EU-US Transatlantic Investment Partnership (TTIP) is starting in Brussels. CHEM Trust remains very concerned about the proposals within TTIP for ‘regulatory co-operation’, which we consider have the potential to delay or undermine protection of wildlife and people from hazardous chemicals. The EU Commission made it clear in [...]
Two recent reports have highlighted the way in which certain industries have been lobbying against EU regulation of hormone disrupting chemicals. The first, by Corporate Europe Observatory and journalist Stéphane Horel: “exposes corporate lobby groups mobilising to stop the EU taking action on hormone (endocrine) disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The report sheds light on how corporations [...]
