Fees and charges payable under REACH adopted

The fees and charges that will be charged for registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals under the new REACH registration procedures have been adopted by the Commission on 15th April and will be published in the Official Journal in the coming days.

The fees and charges will apply with the start of registrations of chemical substances on 1st June 2008. The basic registration fee will range from €1600 for substances produced in volumes below ten tonnes, to €31000 for those above 1000 tonnes. There will be up to 90% discounts for smaller firms and 25% reduction for firms that cooperate together on registrations. The fees payable to European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, which will manage these operational processes, was approved by the Committee of Member State representatives in December.

EU and ASEAN negotiators work on FTA roadmap

The 3rd meeting of the Joint Committee for the EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement was held in Brussels from 30 January to 1 February. More than 50 negotiators from the ASEAN countries attended the meeting, which was co-chaired by the European Commission and Vietnam, in its role as ASEAN facilitator. Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson intervened during the proceedings of the Joint Committee.

Commission proposal to overhaul EU food labelling rules

The European Commission adopted on 30th January 2008 a proposal to make food labels clearer and more relevant to the needs of EU consumers. The aim of the draft Regulation is to modernise and improve EU food labelling rules, so that consumers have, in a legible and understandable manner, the essential information they need to make informed purchasing choices. Under today's proposal, pre-packaged food will have to display key nutritional information on the front of the package. General requirements on how nutrition information should be displayed on food labels are also set out, although there is room for Member States to promote additional national schemes provided they do not undermine the EU rules. For public health reasons, the draft Regulation extends the current requirements for allergen labelling to cover non pre-packed food, including food sold in restaurants and other catering establishments. Industry should also benefit from the proposed new rules, as they set up a clearer, more harmonised legislative framework for food labelling and create a level playing field for all operators. The draft Regulation was drawn up following extensive consultations with consumer organisations, industry and other stakeholders.

Strict rules on the use of perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS)

The European Union will severely restrict the use of perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS) with an effect on 1 July 2008. PFOS comprise a group of chemical substances which are persistent in the environment, accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms and are toxic to humans and wildlife. It places severe restrictions on the marketing and use of PFOS and related substances, and allows certain exemptions for essential small scale uses, where there is no unacceptable risk. This represents one of the last restrictions of dangerous substances under the current legislation and will be incorporated in the proposed new Regulation on chemicals (REACH) once it comes into force.

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Fees and charges payable under REACH adopted

EU and ASEAN negotiators work on FTA roadmap

Commission proposal to overhaul EU food labelling rules

Strict rules on the use of perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS)

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