An Impact Assessment of the Proposed EU Chemical Policy

1,26

MB

(REACH) on Irish Industry

152

stron

4319

ID

ERM Environmental Resources Management Ireland Ltd.

2005

rok

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1

1 STATEMENT OF THE CASE 14

1.1 INTRODUCTION 14

1.2 IRELAND’S POSITION ON RIA 14

1.3 BACKGROUND TO THE REACH PROPOSAL 15

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THIS RIA 15

1.5 ERM METHODOLOGY 16

1.6 STRUCTURE OF THIS DOCUMENT 18

2 ECONOMIC PROFILE 19

2.1 INTRODUCTION 19

2.2 GENERAL CONTEXT 19

2.3 AN OVERVIEW OF THE IRISH CHEMICAL INDUSTRY 19

2.4 SECTOR SPECIFIC DATA 23

2.5 PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR 26

2.6 UPSTREAM CHEMICAL SECTOR 27

2.7 MEDICAL DEVICES SECTOR 27

2.8 ICT HARDWARE SECTOR 28

2.9 CHEMICAL IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS 29

2.10 FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR 29

2.11 PRINTING SECTOR 30

2.12 SME SECTOR 30

2.13 OTHER SECTORS OF POTENTIAL CONCERN UNDER REACH 31

3 CHEMICAL PROFILE DATA 32

3.1 BACKGROUND 32

3.2 CHEMICALS OF CONCERN UNDER REACH 33

3.3 INTERMEDIATES 33

3.4 COMPARISON OF IRISH AND EU CHEMICAL PROFILES 35

4 THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF CHEMICAL REGULATION 36

4.1 INTRODUCTION 36

4.2 INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO CHEMICAL REGULATION 37

5 ASSESSMENT OF OPTIONS 40

5.1 INTRODUCTION 40

5.2 OPTION 1 – FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF REACH WITH VOLUNTARY CONSORTIA 40

5.3 OPTION 2 – FULL IMPLEMENTATION WITH MANDATORY CONSORTIA 41

6 ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESSMENT – POTENTIAL COSTS OF REACH 42

6.1 OVERVIEW 42

6.2 COSTS TO IRELAND’S UPSTREAM INDUSTRY 42

6.3 COSTS TO IRELAND’S DOWNSTREAM INDUSTRY 49

6.4 COSTS TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR 53

6.5 COSTS TO INDIVIDUALS: SOCIAL IMPACTS 54

7 POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF REACH 55

7.1 OVERVIEW 55

7.2 REDUCED RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH 56

7.3 REDUCED RISK OF DAMAGES TO THE ENVIRONMENT 56

7.4 ECONOMIC SAVINGS RESULTING FROM THE PROPOSED EASING OF RESTRICTIONS ON

LOW VOLUME CHEMICALS 58

7.5 ENHANCED BUSINESS REPUTATION 59

8 KEY ISSUES RAISED DURING THE RIA 61

8.1 INTRODUCTION 61

8.2 AWARENESS OF REACH 61

8.3 COST IMPLICATIONS FOR UPSTREAM INDUSTRIES 61

8.4 COST IMPLICATIONS FOR DOWNSTREAM INDUSTRIES 62

8.5 VOLUME BASED ASSESSMENT APPROACH 62

8.6 PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 63

8.7 IRELAND’S SPECIALITY CHEMICALS SECTOR 63

8.8 VULNERABILITY OF CHEMICALS TO WITHDRAWAL/SUBSTITUTION 63

8.9 COMPETITION 64

8.10 LACK OF IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE 64

8.11 BENEFITS 65

9 CONCLUSIONS 66

9.1 BENEFITS OF REACH 66

9.2 COSTS OF REACH 67

10 GLOSSARY 69

Annex A Estimation of REACH Costs at European Level

Annex B Summary of the Requirements of REACH

Annex C Description of EU Tariff Codes

Annex D Chemical Data Reported Through the Survey by Tariff Code

Annex E Summary of Existing Pharmaceutical Reporting Requirements