German nod to REACH

European Union governments will delay a vote on the contentious REACH (registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals) discussed in IM’s leader in October. EU officials said the vote, planned for November 28-29, would be postponed after Germany requested more time in order to concentrate on its own ongoing negotiations to form a new coalition government.

Meanwhile anti-REACH feeling from the global mining industry remains high. Countries in Africa have stepped up pressure for changes because they say REACH would hamper mining industries and slow down development. South African President Thabo Mbeki has written expressing concern about REACH to EC President Jose Manuel Barroso and British Prime Minster Tony Blair.

Chile’s copper commission Cochilco continues to be vociferous against REACH, saying it could intensify regulation of copper imports to EU members and produce a trend toward the substitution of copper. Cochilco is worried that because because organic substances such as oil, gas and coal are not subject to the initiative, derived products like PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and polymers could gain ground over copper, but substitution.

Cochilco says there is a lobby, which is exercising influence as appropriate, with good information and studies, at government level with Chilean and European members of parliament and with some environmental NGOs to explain the situation.

Once again, this appears to be bureaucratic bullying by the EU. What’s more, and worse, the EU does not, as yet, appear to be listening to the global mining industry’s concerns.