Liikanen says chemicals policy will aid innovation
The European Commission's new chemicals policy will help to boost innovation in the EU chemicals industry, according to Enterprise and Information Society Commissioner Erkki Liikanen. Speaking at a conference on the impact of the new policy on 21 May, Mr Liikanen said that over the course of the last decade, Europe has lost out to the USA in terms of competitiveness and living standards. 'As the Commission's Competitiveness Report 2002 shows, weaknesses in Europe's innovative performance and a slower introduction of new technologies are at the origin of the gap with the US,' he said. 'More innovative activity to discover new products and more efficient production methods are key to improving Europe's performance.' He said the Commission aims to boost innovation with the new system for chemicals. He added that SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) are an important source of innovation and helping them to cope with the new requirements will be a top priority. Mr Liikanen said he and Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström have requested a business impact assessment of the new proposals for legislation to ensure that businesses, particularly SMEs, are not overburdened by its demands. 'The European institutions bear an immense responsibility in the design of the new system and in the adoption of effective legislation,' he concluded. 'The task will be arduous. But the rewards of getting it right will be great also.' The Chemicals White Paper, published on 13 February 2001, aims to revise the current chemicals legislation by introducing a simplified system for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemical substances. The new system, which would be introduced over a period of 11 years, aims to provide a higher level of health and environmental protection and encourage the substitution of dangerous chemicals by safer ones. It also aims to boost competitiveness and innovation in the European chemicals industry.