Revised legislation adopted by Parliament ensures countries receiving dangerous chemical exports that can harm people and the environment remain in the driving seat.

Restrictions on export of dangerous chemicals

Exporters of toxic chemicals  won’t have it so easy in the future.

They won’t be able to send their toxic  substances to less developed countries

Environment MEPs stood their ground  on health and environmental principles,

rejecting the interests of big businesses  who’d like to increase their exports.

For me it looks like they were considering  the interests of industry much more

than sustainability and environment  and health issues in the poorer countries.

Less developed countries often don’t have  the organisational capacity

and EU businesses were finding  many of their requests going unanswered.

We've made this legislation to make sure  that a company in Germany, for instance,

cannot take chemicals too dangerous  to sell in the European market

and dump them in Botswana  or Uganda or another African country.

While there was some tension between  the MEPs and Commission officials

everyone managed to reach agreement  on EP’s insistence on strict rules.

The Environment Committee  improved a Commission proposal

We found an agreement which gives  greater security to citizens

compared to the Commission’s proposal.

So now, the EU institutions and countries  have reached agreement,

and the new legislation will mean  countries will have 60 days to refuse entry,

or export will go ahead if the chemical  has been deemed OK in the past.