Britain's most toxic MEP backs proposed new chemicals legislation

4.24.40pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 3rd Oct 2006

As the European Parliament's Environmental and Public Health Committee meet this week to discuss the upcoming Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) proposals, Graham Watson, the Liberal Democrat MEP for the South West and Gibraltar, has added his support to those calling for tough new legislation on chemicals.

A crucial vote in the European Parliament next week will set the scene for final negotiations between MEPs and Ministers to be made before the end of the year. The REACH package will be the biggest ever piece of EU legislation, taking the place of roughly 40 different European laws on chemicals as well as scores of national regulations.

Commenting on REACH, Graham Watson MEP said:

'Having the unfortunate accolade of being Britain's most toxic MEP - tested by WWF - I know how important these REACH proposals are. Chemicals do play a significant role in our lives but we know very little about the possible long term consequences of their use. The new law will require manufacturers to prove that their products are safe before they put them on the market.'

Man-made chemicals are found in a vast range of consumer products from furniture, clothes and toiletries to electrical appliances and cleaning products and have never been properly tested. Recent studies have found that people in Britain have scores of artificial chemicals accumulating in their bodies.

The proposed requirements are intended to ensure that the 30,000 chemicals in daily use pose no long-term threats to health or to the environment whilst at the same time not imposing excessive burdens on the chemicals industry.