Verheugen warns against ECHA budget cut

European Commission Vice President and Enterprise and Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen has warned against cutting the European Chemicals Agency (ECHAⁱ)’s budget. He told Parliament’s Environment Committee that the proposal from EU Member States to cut the budget from €30 million to €25.3 would undermine REACHⁱ.

ECHA is expected to make up the shortfall in its budget via fees from chemical registrations, which will start to be collected in autumn 2010. Until then, however, if the budget cuts go ahead, the agency has warned that the implementation of the REACH regulation could be affected. The European Parliament’s budget committee is expected to back the Commission and Environment Committee’s position when it meets on 8 October.