Source: European Parliament
The Commission is committed to protect human health and the environment while managing the socioeconomic consequences associated with restriction decisions.
Restrictions under the regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)[1] are based on evidence from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and its scientific committees concerning the risks for human health or the environment posed by a substance, and the socioeconomic impacts of restricting that substance.
As for all restriction dossiers, before deciding whether a legal restriction is warranted, the Commission assesses the evidence provided by ECHA, taking into account stakeholders’ comments.
In this specific case, the Commission has considered, on the one hand, the risk posed by calcium cyanamide when used as a fertiliser, as confirmed by the Agency’s Committee for Risk Assessment, and, on the other hand, (i) the lack of conclusions of the Agency’s Committee for Socio-Economic Assessment on the proportionality of a restriction, due mainly to the uncertainties on the risk posed by the possible alternatives, and (ii) the possible socioeconomic consequences of a restriction on broader priorities of the EU.
Following this assessment, the Commission services now intend to present a draft proposal for a restriction of calcium cyanamide as fertiliser for a first discussion with the Member States in the REACH[2] Committee by the end of 2024.