New Swiss chemicals law protects citizens

5 Comments

1. 

   Sven Triloqvist on May 19, 2005 at 4:05 am

   In the interests of a more globally informed forum I am recommending this post, though I must confess to not being overexcited by the prospect of detailed understanding of the 100,000 chemicals on sale in Swwitzerland 😉 (just to prove that I read the diary)

   • 

     whataboutbob on May 19, 2005 at 9:44 am

     There was a great article in the Nation awhile back, that talks about how Europe will effect the US, by becoming more stringent with what can be used in household cleaning agents, make-ups, etc. (which have been, up until now, highly toxic)…in America products are sold until there is a problem found (and litigation occurs)…in Europe it is becoming the standard that only those products that are known/proven to be safe can be sold. American chemical companies are not happy about this. But…the American citizen will eventually want the same (safe) standard as the European.

     Anyway…this is kind of my internal dialogue…I feel safer here, and seeing this article was just one more thing to be happy about. I hope/trust it is true…

     • 

       Sven Triloqvist on May 19, 2005 at 12:18 pm

       That’s a good point. The momentum to serve the consumer in terms of product safety etc seems much greater in Europe. So maybe Europe can set the standards for the world.

       Like the metric argument – it is very inefficient when a complex mechanical product has to be made in two versions – the metric and the US.

     • 

       Nanette on May 19, 2005 at 6:32 pm

       The LA Times published this article recently, Europes Rules Forcing U.S. Firms to Clean Up, related to the Nation article you just mentioned. So, it’s already happening, thank goodness.

       Here is an excerpt:

       Already, Europe is setting environmental standards for international commerce, forcing changes in how industries around the world make plastic, electronics, toys, cosmetics and furniture. Now, the EU is on the verge of going further — overhauling how all toxic compounds are regulated. A proposal about to be debated by Europe’s Parliament would require testing thousands of chemicals, cost industries several billion dollars, and could lead to many more compounds and products being pulled off the market.

       Years ago, when rivers oozed poisons, eagle chicks were dying from DDT in their eggs and aerosol sprays were eating a hole in the Earth’s ozone layer, the United States was the world’s trailblazer when it came to regulating toxic substances. Regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats controlled the White House, the United States was the acknowledged global pioneer of tough new laws that aimed to safeguard the public from chemicals considered risky.

       Today, the United States is no longer the vanguard. Instead, the planet’s most stringent chemical policies, with far-reaching impacts on global trade, are often born in Stockholm and codified in Brussels.

2. 

   Londonbear on May 19, 2005 at 10:12 am

   Follow the link on the page and you will find that the Swiss have done this as part of harmonisation with the EU. The are doing this to increase trade with the EU and also in case they decide at some stage to apply for membership.

   A condition of membership is the adaoption and operation of the “acquis communautaire” or the complete body of law. The EU legal system is a merging of the “Napoleonic” and “English common law” systems. Regulations do not have to be ammended but read in conjunction with rulings by the European Court of Justice(AKA “activist judges”).

   As you will see, the part of the acquis dealing with the production and use of chemicals is undergoing revision to  further improved consumer, workers’ and enviromental standards.