Chemicals Omnibus Mini Briefing

In July, ClientEarth together with nine health and environmental organisations sent a letter to the European Commission warning about the consequences of the so-called Sixth Omnibus on chemicals. We requested the withdrawal of the proposal. The European Commission responded in August. This briefing aims to clarify several key issues where the Commission and the CSOs diverge in their portrayal of the legal and scientific facts, namely: 

• The omnibus proposal aims to fundamentally change the legal framework 
• These proposed legislative changes increase risks for consumers, workers and the environment 
• By not upholding the high level of protection, the Omnibus proposal violates the EU Treaties and the EU Charter 
• Lowering product safety standards does not foster EU competitiveness 
• By omitting public consultation, the Commission violated democratic principles