The European Parliament’s environment committee has called for further study into scores of chemicals to establish whether they are safe to use in electronic devices and electrical goods. 

At least two types of flame retardants, the plastic PVC (polyvinylchloride) and up to 40 other chemicals should undergo further assessment to see whether they are safe to use, the MEPs said.

The decision to single out these substances was made in a near unanimous vote today (2 June) on the committee’s common position on revising the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment directive. 

Today’s vote is not the final version of the law, which, when agreed, will cover all electrical and electronic goods sold in the EU.

Jill Evans, a UK Green MEP, who is drafting the Parliament’s opinion on the law, lost the battle for an outright ban of two halogenated flame retardants and PVC. However, she succeeded in persuading colleagues that revision of the RoHS directive, which dates back to 2002, should be more ambitious than the mere tidying-up exercise that the European Commission had envisaged.

“I am glad that, despite heavy pressure from the chemical industry, the environment committee has today voted for certain problematic substances to be highlighted for further review and a possible ban,” she said.

The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the biggest group in the Parliament, had opposed any bans on chemicals, arguing that new demands on European industry would be difficult to meet in an economic crisis.

But Socialist and Liberal MEPs wanted more environmental protection. MEPs from these groups added scores of other substances to a list of chemicals that Evans wanted undergo further safety tests. The new additions include arsenic compounds and bisphenol A, a chemical used in plastics and tin cans. In a further addition to the Commission proposal, the MEPs called for a ban on some nanomaterials, chemical substances made on a miniscule scale that can be used in batteries.

The European Engineering Industries Association (Orgalime), which represents electrical and electronic engineers, accused the Parliament of flouting the principles of good regulation. “When the European Commission launched its recast proposal this was meant to be a minor adjustment to a directive, which has been operating for just a couple of years,” said Orgalime’s Adrian Harris. “Instead it looks as if we are facing a major overhaul…this is not a good signal to industry that it is welcome to contribute to Europe’s economic recovery.”

Environmental groups were disappointed that the environment committee did not go for total bans. “The well-established scientific evidence on the problems to human and environmental health of BFR [brominated flame retardant] and PVC is overwhelming,” said Frida Hök at the ChemSec campaign group. “It is remarkable that the environment committee did not decide to contribute to the phase-out of the use of these hazardous chemicals.”

Environment ministers will discuss the RoHS directive at a meeting in Luxembourg next week (11 June), and the full Parliament will vote on it in July.

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