French business tells EU to stick to world standards for product life cycles
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| EU decisions matter to business far beyond European borders |
Paris, 5 September 2001 - A leading French business association has urged the European Commission to keep to existing international standards in its drive to integrate environmental requirements into product life cycles.
ICC France - the French national committee of the International Chamber of Commerce - told the European Commission that it would be "very hostile" to the establishment of European standards, since the international ISO standards have proved effective, irrespective of the product concerned.
The French business association was commenting on the Green Paper on Integrated Product Policy adopted by the European Commission in February, which the Swedish EU presidency made one of its environmental priorities.
Taking up the broad debate proposed by the Commission on how to create wealth and competitiveness on the basis of greener products, ICC France said: "At present, international standards make it possible to ensure the integration of environmental requirements in the processes for creating and manufacturing products.
"Enterprises are therefore able to use such standards, while taking into account the specificity of a given product, production requirements and geographical constraints. ICC France insists therefore on the need for international standards so as to ensure that requirements are of the same level, irrespective of the continent where a product is manufactured."
EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstr¶m has described the Commission initiative as an opportunity for all stakeholders. She said: "It is a way to ensure that the products of the future have a higher value, use less resources and take into account citizens' concerns on health and the environment."
Commenting on the green paper, ICC France noted that corporations are already using methods included in it to ensure that the products they manufacture respect the environment and meet consumer expectations
"Therefore, our member firms support as a matter of principle the implementation of an IPP based on voluntary initiatives by enterprises to reduce the environmental impact of their products."
Since French companies were already operating in conformity with strict laws governing the creation and production of consumer goods, the European Commission should continue to favour non-binding measures in order to preserve the competitiveness on world markets of EU companies, ICC France said.
French business agreed with Commissioner Wallstr¶m that the success of an Integrated Product Policy would depend on its being based on the principle of a shared and well identified responsibility of the various parties involved in the life cycle of a given product.
The French bu
siness comments included these further points:
· The Commission should look into tax credits or investment incentives as means for spurring environmental innovations.
· Eco-labelling should be of undisputed technical relevance. It would be wise to use labels for products that are not very complex, incorporate few materials and require little processing.
· Standardisation of information given to the public would be useful if it were carried out and implemented in an identical manner at world level.
· Environmental criteria for purchases during public tenders must meet the same requirements for relevance and objectivity as those laid down for private transactions.
· Environmental guidelines must leave entrepreneurs free to create, manufacture and market their products.
The ICC France delegation was received by Patrick Henessy, a senior Commission official responsible for business and environmental policy. Jean-Marc Lepeu, Director of External Relations at Renault, and Marie Psimenos, General Delegate, represented ICC France.