Putting jobs out of REACH

Putting jobs out of REACH

New rules which threaten 20,000 jobs in Britain have been approved in the European Parliament today.

The REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) sets out new environmental regulations which the chemicals industry say will force many companies to relocate to places such as India and China.

Godfrey Bloom , UK Independence Party MEP, said that "20 000 job losses is a minimum estimate."

"Equally significant are the legal implications behind today's decision. Against the principles of British justice, operators will have the almost impossible task of proving themselves innocent. This is because REACH states that in the absence of any scientific evidence, businessmen can see themselves on criminal charges and their companies shut down. It is an unprecedented invasion by an undemocratic authority on the principles of British justice and our national sovereignty. "said Mr Bloom

"What we have is a Common Chemicals Policy which is based on exaggerated health benefits and arbitrary decisions to ban chemicals without proof of their impact.

"It is typical of the EU to make legislation based on a utopian ideal, without any real concern for the negative effects it will have on British businesses and industry workers."

Research conducted by the UEAMPE, which represents SME's in Europe, suggest as many as 150 000 jobs could be lost to the German chemicals industry with a knock-on effect on the livelihoods of 1.25 million workers in related industries.