10 October 2006 - Housegold products will not be allowed to contain toxic chemicals where safer alternatives exist, if a package of rules to keep dangerous pollutants out of EU homes adopted today by the European Parliament’s influential Environment Committee becomes law.

The REACH directive – which stands for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals – was adopted today with MEPs agreeing with Green Party Euro-MP Caroline Lucas that customers must have access to information about the ingredients of products, that the most toxic cancer-causing and gender-bending chemicals must be replaced with safer alternatives, and that safety tests involving animal experiments should be scrapped.

After the vote Dr Lucas said: “Today’s decision is another step towards delivering good news for the millions of consumers who just don’t realize that everyday goods such as carpets, computers, cleaning products – and even children’s toys – contain some of the most toxic man-made chemicals on the planet.

“The challenge now is for MEPs to support this directive and prioritise the needs and wishes of the people living in their constituencies over the short-term financial interests of the chemicals industry.”

Dr Lucas, who is a co-president of both the cross-party parliamentary groups on consumer and health affairs and animal welfare and protection, and is a Vice-President of the RSPCA, added: “The health and social impact of deliberately manufactured toxic chemicals cost the EU dear, and I am delighted the committee has adopted such a tough package of measures to protect EU citizens from the worst excesses of the chemicals industry.

“The challenge now facing Euro-MPs and member states is how to find ways of implementing these rules quickly and begin protecting their citizens as soon as possible.”

ENDS

Caroline’s amendments calling for the replacement of animal tests from the EU chemical safety regime