REACH ‘monster’ will devour EU innovation, chemical industry warns

EurActiv ^ | Apr 29, 2016 (updated: May 2, 2016) | Frédéric Simon

[Olog-hai]

Chemical industry lobbyists have stepped up their criticism of Europe’s REACH chemical safety regulation, branding the law “a monster” that “will devour” the industry’s ability to innovate. Policymakers should set “tangible” regulatory burden reduction targets to unleash the innovation potential of Europe’s chemical companies, industry body CEFIC said in a statement released today (29 April). […]

In the industry’s firing line is the REACH regulation, which requires manufacturers to register thousands of chemicals currently on the market and submit them for safety screening and subsequent authorization. […]

(CEFIC Vice President Tony) Bastock complained in particular that chemical companies were now spending more money on regulatory compliance than innovation at a time when Europe was struggling to compete on global markets. …

[Olog-hai]

The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) decree dates back to 12/18/2006, so it has had quite the effect already.

[spokeshave]

As they say in the UK

Health and safety gone crazy.

[Olog-hai]

And of course, “crazy” as in bat guano. Things stopped working for the USSR once they no longer had free market countries to steal from; with the USA in its present condition, these executive “regulations” do hurt badly.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This registration already exists in the US.

[T-Bone Texan]

When I read “chemicals” and “Europe” in the same sentence I cannot help but to think of all the blue meth smuggled there on Breaking Bad.