REACH: ECHA assesses the cost/benefit of restrictions
Published at the end of February 2021, the 2016-2020 study* presents the costs and benefits of restrictions on the manufacture and use of chemicals introduced under the REACH Regulation: of the 36 restrictions proposed since 2010, 20 have been accepted (2 releases and 14 pending decision).
According to the study, these restrictions would protect the overall health of more than 7 million EU-wide citizens and workers, notably by reducing the risk of serious diseases: a benefit estimated at 2.1 billion EUR/year over the next decades, more than 4 times the total costs.
They would also prevent the spill of 95 000 tonnes/year of hazardous chemicals into the environment, thereby reducing the exposure of populations via water, air and food.
The cost of restrictions on environmental risks is estimated at EUR 1.2 billion/year: most of these costs are linked to the fact that companies have to replace their own chemicals subject to restrictions by safer products or alternative technologies.
The ECHA study provides a detailed assessment of costs and benefits, specifying for each case:
- Cost categories;
- Health or environmental concerns;
- Indicators of the effects on human health or the environment of restricting the use of a substance of concern;
- The value of these impacts;
- Costs and benefits monetized.
* Extract from the ECHA study « Costs and benefits of REACH restrictions proposed between 2016-2020 »
Concrete cases
- The proposed restriction formicroplasticsintentionally added to the products would prevent the release of 500,000 tonnes of microplastics into the environment over the next 20 years.
- The restriction proposed since July 2020 for the 4phthalatesDEHP, DBP, DIBP and BBP would save 2,000 boys the risk of infertility in their future lives: the monetized profits are estimated at EUR 235 million/year, 10 times the cost.
Examples of fact sheets attached to the ECHA study:
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