Interpellations

The European Green Deal launched in December 2019 aims to make the European Union's economy sustainable and notably displays the "zero pollution" ambition for an environment free of toxic substances.
In order to meet this objective, the Commission has undertaken to present a chemical strategy for sustainability.

This strategy aims to reduce the risks linked to the production and use of dangerous chemicals, and thus to better protect citizens and the environment while encouraging innovation for the development of safe and sustainable alternatives. This can be achieved by simplifying and strengthening the legal framework. The Commission will examine possible modes of collaboration between EU scientific agencies and bodies, with a view to establishing a process in which substances are assessed by only one agency. The regulatory framework will also need to be adapted to take into account scientific data on the risk posed by endocrine disruptors, hazardous chemicals present in products (including imported), the combined effects of different chemicals, and very persistent chemicals. .

This July 9, MEPs will meet to adopt or not the resolution voted by the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. This resolution is positive as it stands (see our article on this subject: https://www.generations-futures.fr/actualites/ue-resolution-chimique/). The plenary assembly must now ratify this resolution.

Timetable of the various stages before the adoption of the sustainable chemicals strategy:

- from May 11 to June 20, 2020: public consultation of the roadmap presenting the sustainable strategy in the field of chemicals. 424 participations were registered; https://shaketonpolitique.org/consultations/feuille-de-route-strategie-chimiques/;

- June 25, 2020: meeting of the Environment Committee to vote on the so-called “compromise” amendments and amendments to the draft resolution on the sustainable chemicals strategy;

- June 29, 2020 (subject to): meeting of the Environment Committee to vote on the whole of the draft resolution on the basis of the amendments that were accepted at the meeting of June 25;

- July 9, 2020: if the draft resolution is adopted by the Environment Committee (which was the case at the end of June), a plenary meeting will be organized to vote on the adoption of the resolution on the chemical strategy;

- September 2020 (subject to change): adoption of the sustainable strategy in the field of chemicals. Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, adoption of the strategy may be delayed.