Turkish manufacturers are experiencing difficulties because of the EU’s REACH – the new EU regulatory framework for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemical. The aims of this framework are to improve protection of human health and the environment from the risks of chemicals while enhancing the competitiveness of the EU chemicals industry.

Turkish companies are being urged to produce chemicals for export that are in accordance with REACH standards, and register their substances with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki over the coming years.

Since Turkey is not yet a full EU member, regulations under REACH are not fully implemented by the country’s chemical manufacturing sector. However, Turkish exporters still face a great deal of difficulties.

Under the REACH regulation, Turkish manufacturers and exporters are classified as “non-EU manufacturers” and thus direct application to join the scheme is not possible. Nevertheless, as it stands, Turkish companies are obliged to inform the ECHA of the chemicals they intend to export to the EU over the next three years.

This is an example of what would have occurred to Malta and Maltese companies if during the referendum we opted out of joining the EU. Since most of the Maltese companies export to the EU market, we still had to reach EU standards to sell our product but without any assistance to reach those standards.

Turkish export companies who had signed deals with EU based companies are finding it hard and highly problematic since not all Turkish producers are abiding with the rules. Therefore, products cannot reach the European market. It is not a coincidence that large pharmaceutical companies are investing in our country rather than non-EU countries, as being an EU country reduces the hassle encountered by those non-member states wanting to export their products to the EU market.

The aim of REACH is to create a single system for both what are currently described as “existing” and “new” substances. This requires that industry has certain knowledge of the properties of its substances and manages potential risks. Who better then the industry itself is best placed to ensure that the chemicals it manufactures and puts on the market in the EU do not adversely affect human health or the environment.

The main option of Turkish exporters of chemical agents is to seek a partnership with an EU based company which will register substances imported from Turkey. In this case, the Turkish companies will have to show their findings to third parties, reducing the innovation element that will result in a short-term solution. In the first case, the Turkish exporter shares responsibility equally with an EU manufacturer, which will register all the necessary data with the ECHA. This has a significant disadvantage since all the formulation data through these documents will be exposed. Another disadvantage may result from the importers reluctance to endure the bureaucratic hurdles presented by the registration process.

Neither our companies nor our exporters face these types of problems. This is thanks to our EU accession a decision that put us in a better position then those non-EU countries that wish to access the EU market. Since joining the EU, a good number of Maltese companies increased their exports. This is also due to the Maltese product reaching European standards a measure that facilitates not only our access to the EU market but also to other markets such as USA.

Thanks to the Nationalist Party’s vision to join the EU, we are benefiting from equal opportunities that our European counterparts are benefiting from. This also includes the import and export companies that are facing less bureaucratic hurdles. We definitely have come a long way since the commencement of our European adventure three years ago. New international companies choose our islands to invest their money. This is due to the important decisions taken by the government led by Prime Minister Gonzi. The decisions were taken in the best interest of our country, our children and ourselves. The determination shown by Nationalist administrations to put Malta and its people amongst the finest has once again left the results.

If in 2003, we had chosen to opt out the European Union, now we would have been facing the same difficulties Turkish companies are presently facing. These complications might result in a rise in unemployment due to less production. Today we can notice the important yes vote we had given four years ago, a vote that determined our prosperous future rather then an uncompetitive one.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi believes that our country has the potential to compete in foreign markets. That is why we envision further success in our EU adventure. So that we reach our goals, the government is continuing its investment in education and its facilities. We, the Nationalist Party, believe in the potential of the Maltese people and that is why we invest to empower our society. The Nationalist Party encourages and not discourages the people from being ambitious to succeed.

MEP David Casa is a Nationalist member in the European Parliament and forms part of the delegation to the EU-Turkey joint

parliamentary committee.

www.davidcasa.eu

[email protected]