Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-12-11-Speech-1-099"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2006-12-11"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:European Chemicals Agency – Amendment of Directive 67/548/EEC on dangerous substances (debate)2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20061211.14.1-099"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2006-12-11-Speech-1-1002
lpv:speaker	lp:John Bowis2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, our rapporteur, Mr Sacconi, spent a lot of his speech, like a mountain goat, going up and down mountains, taking us with him and telling us that when you get to the top you feel exhilarated. I have to tell him that most of us feel exhausted. However, he has led us gamely through 140 articles, 17 annexes and nine appendices of the REACH proposals, and he can feel justifiably exhilarated to be bringing us towards a new, coherent system to identify and manage the risk of chemicals. It has been a long marathon. I am not sure whether you can have a marathon going up and down mountains, but if you could, it would probably take the nine years it is going to have taken once we come to April 2007 and put this in place. We have come a long way and we have had high ambitions, although not all of them have been met. That would explain some of the outbursts that he may have sensed behind him. However, what we have been seeking is to get the best possible ambition met. But we have to strike a balance – a balance between strong environmental and health protection, phased but comprehensive gathering of data on all chemicals, legal certainty, protection of intellectual property for businesses and minimising the need for animal testing through data sharing and the promotion and validation of non-animal test methods. That is a compromise, and that is where we are. At the heart of that compromise is substitution, and the authorisation procedures with their mandatory substitution plans will phase out chemicals of very high concern where safer, viable alternative substances and technologies exist. Research plans will be required where they do not exist. We have made progress. I congratulate the Finnish Presidency on helping towards that. I regret that the British Government pulled the rug from under the feet of the Finnish Presidency at one point, otherwise we might have achieved a little more. As has been said, the future is implementation. The future is what the market will do with this. I believe that the market will respond and lead the way as manufacturers, retailers and consumers push for safer alternatives. We will be looking to competitive business to provide those greener products that consumers want. We will also see movements towards non-animal testing through the three-year review that will come from the agency. It will soon be Christmas. The best possible Christmas present is a REACH-free 2007. It will not be REACH-free in the Commission, but we will have a REACH-free agenda in Parliament. All the runners in this marathon deserve at least that respite!"@en1
lpv:spokenAs	unknown; Conservative and Unionist Party (2004-07-20--2009-07-13)3 member; ENVI (2004-07-21--2007-01-14)3 member_of_the_bureau; EPP-ED (2004-08-31--2009-07-13)3 vice-chair; Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (2004-09-15--2009-07-13)3 substitute; DEVE (2004-07-22--2007-01-14)3 substitute; Delegation for relations with the countries of South Asia and the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) (2004-09-15--2007-03-13)3 member; Delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (2004-10-13--2007-03-13)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"John Bowis (PPE-DE ). –"1

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