Greens welcome delayed EU decision to ban toxins from baby toys
27th Sep 2004
Ban "puts protecting children's health above profits"
Trade Ministers from across the EU have agreed to phase out six toxic chemicals used to soften PVC in children's toys - SEVEN years after researchers highlighted the link between the 'pthalates' and both liver damage and reproductive failure.
Green Euro-MPs welcomed the decision, which they described as "better late than never".
Caroline Lucas, MEP for South-East England and a member of the Parliament's Environment Committee, said: "The competitiveness council has made the right decision - eventually - and protecting the health of babies and children will, at last, be prioritised over the interests of the chemicals industry.
"It has taken seven years to overcome the lobbying power of the multinational chemicals industry - and pthalates are just the tip of the iceberg."
Three pthtalates, which are classified as toxic to reproduction, are to be banned from use in all PVC toys. Three others, which are toxic to the liver, are to be banned from all toys intended for use by under-3s and which can be put in the mouth.
An emergency temporary ban on pthalates adopted in 1999 covered the same six pthalates, but only banned their use in toys intended for children's mouths. Total pthalate production is approximately one million tonnes a year - almost half in the form of DEHP, which is officially classified as toxic to reproduction.
Dr Lucas added: "The challenge now is to build on this prohibition to end the use of all pthalates - and harmful chemicals - for which safer alternatives exist. That's the ultimate aim of the long-overdue so-called 'REACH' proposals currently before the commission which will, I hope, give the EU the world's most ethical chemicals policy."
Greens welcome EU climb-down on software patents
"A victory for small business"
EU Trade Ministers have dropped a controversial bill which, would have allowed software to be patented by a small number of multi-nationals, from a Competitiveness Council agenda.
London Euro-MP Jean Lambert, whose constituency boasts one of the largest numbers of small IT businesses in the EU, said the Competitiveness Council's decision to re-open the debate on software patenting was excellent news for the IT sector, small businesses - and the democratic accountability of the EU.
She said: "The ministers' decision to pass the directive back to member states for further debate is a victory both for small business and the Parliament."
The climb-down came in the face of a surge of public pressure against the proposals, with small businesses and programmers warning software patents could push them out of business.
Mrs Lambert, a member of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, said: "Public pressure has prevailed - at least in the short term - and it is crucial that opponents of software patenting maintain the pressure.
"Officially, the Council has experienced translation difficulties with the new official languages of the EU. In reality this file is returning to the Committee of member states' permanent EU representatives to allow technical discussions between experts to continue."
"I am pleased that the Parliament's position, which wanted to limit patents to technical inventions, is now also defended by the Council. Its previous so-called 'compromise' proposal made a mockery of the Parliament's position and opened the door to software patents - and consequently, to the control of the EU's economy by a small number of multinationals."
23rd Sep 2004