Sacconi offers Reach authorisation concessions

MEP Guido Sacconi has made the first significant move towards compromise in the stand-off between governments and the European parliament over rules for authorising hazardous chemicals in the Reach reform.

The parliament’s rapporteur has offered the council of ministers two significant concessions:  he is willing to drop the parliament’s insistence that all authorisations to use chemicals of high concern should be limited to a maximum of five years.  And he will accept authorisations granted on the basis of firms promising to "adequately control" the risks their substances pose.