Joint open letter from the representatives of civil society and the environment on the Draghi Report considerations regarding chemicals

A group of civil society organisations has written to EU Environment Ministers and European Commission President Von der Leyen as well Commissioner-designates Ribera Rodriguez, Séjourné, and Roswall to express serious concerns regarding the recently published Draghi report:

While the report aims to assist the European Commission in shaping a plan for sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, including the creation of a Clean Industrial Deal, we are troubled by the lack of accuracy, precision, and justification of several key statements.

[..] Inaccurate or unsupported statements severely compromise the report’s ability to serve as a solid and credible foundation for the Commission’s future work on chemicals’ policy.

The organisations urge recipients of the letter not to overestimate the value of the statements on chemicals from the Draghi Report as a guide for action in the upcoming period, considering the shortcomings in its execution:

The 2020 Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS) identified critical gaps in the regulation of harmful chemicals in Europe, while also charting a clear and ambitious course toward a safe and sustainable environment that also supports the thriving European industry. Notably, it sets out specific proposals to update REACH in a way enhancing the level of protection while maintaining the competitive and innovative internal market for chemicals. It also includes commitments to limit the unprecedented PFAS-crisis including a ban on non-essential uses.

We ask you to remain aligned with the EU’s commitments under the CSS, implement them with no more delays, and ensure that future regulatory actions effectively address the challenges of sustainability which are more pressing by the day.

Full letter here.

See the European Commission’s response letter issued on 23/10/2024 here.