Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03ROME3629
2003-08-12 08:25:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

REACH: ITALIAN CHEMICALS INDUSTRY'S STRATEGY

Tags:  ETRD TPHY TBIO EIND IT EUN 
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UNCLAS ROME 003629 

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO US EPA STEVE JOHNSON AND CHARLIE AUER
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/WE
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC DAVID DEFALCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD TPHY TBIO EIND IT EUN
SUBJECT: REACH: ITALIAN CHEMICALS INDUSTRY'S STRATEGY
DURING EU PRESIDENCY

SBU- Not for internet distribution.

UNCLAS ROME 003629

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

DEPT PLEASE PASS TO US EPA STEVE JOHNSON AND CHARLIE AUER
DEPT FOR EUR/ERA AND EUR/WE
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC DAVID DEFALCO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD TPHY TBIO EIND IT EUN
SUBJECT: REACH: ITALIAN CHEMICALS INDUSTRY'S STRATEGY
DURING EU PRESIDENCY

SBU- Not for internet distribution.


1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 7.


2. (SBU) Begin summary. On July 24, SCI Officers met with
Francesca Poggiali (please protect),a Federchimica official
responsible for External Affairs, who is working as a
consultant to the Italian Ministry of Productive Activities
assisting in the Presidency's work on REACH, the EU's
proposed chemicals policy. Federchimica, the Italian
national association of chemical companies and the primary
voice of the chemical industry, is wary of the new policy and
expects it to have a negative economic impact on Italy. SCI
Officers received an advance copy of an economic impact
assessment conducted by Federchimica, which will be publicly
released in September. The Federchimica official also shared
the Italian Presidency's strategy on REACH for the coming
months: see para 4 & 5. End summary.


New Economic Impact Study
--------------

3. (U) Italy is heavily dependent on the economic
contribution of the chemicals industry and thus the effects
of the highly restrictive REACH legislation would be acutely
felt. The Italian chemicals industry employs 133,000 people
and when combined with the pharmaceuticals industry, the
figure rises to 206,000. The chemicals industry accounts for
6% of total turnover in the manufacturing industry in Italy.
In 2002, the chemicals industry turned over 44.1 billion
euros in production, about 3.07% of the Italian GDP ($1.438
trillion in 2002). Federchimica's study of the economic
impact of REACH in Italy reports that it could be up to 50%
worse than the impact on Germany and France. This is because
Italy has more specialized sectors, such as fashion textiles,
leather, consumer goods, automobiles, etc, which depend on
inputs from the chemicals sector. The best case scenario
might mean a loss of 0.7% of GDP for Italy because of REACH,
while the worse case scenario might mean a devastating loss
of up to 7% of
GDP. This wide variation in impact depends on modeling

assumptions about the effects of REACH as they extend
throughout the manufacturing sector in Italy.


Italian Industry Prefers to Send REACH to Competitiveness
Council
-------------- --------------

4. (SBU) In addition to the dire economic predictions,
Federchimica is very concerned about the effect REACH could
have on competitiveness, and thus would prefer that DG
Enterprise oversee and mold the final Commission proposal.
However, there is currently a "tug of war" between the
Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Productive
Activities for control of Italian leadership of the EU
proposal. The chemicals industry is looking to the
Competitiveness Council as a way to ensure that the key issue
of competitiveness is properly considered.


5. (SBU) According to Federchimica, the Commission should
have the final REACH proposal ready by the end of October for
consideration by the Council of Ministers. However, the
Italian chemicals industry is hoping that the Commission's
work will not be finished in time for the Environmental
Council to debate REACH at their meeting on October 27.
Thus, consideration of REACH would fall to the
Competitiveness Council when it meets later in November (Nov.
10-11 and Nov. 27). Federchimica hopes this juggling of
dates and timing will allow the REACH proposal to be shaped
more by the Competitiveness Council than the Environmental
Council.


Planned Presidency Meetings
--------------

6. (SBU)

September 22-23: the Ministry of Productive Activities will
officially present the results of the Italian economic impact
study at the Competitiveness Council meeting

October 17 (tentative): the Italian Presidency is planning to
host a meeting of the EU High Level Competitiveness Group in


Venice. The USG has been invited to help organize and to
participate in this meeting.

October 27: meeting of Environment Council

Late October/early November: Confindustria, the parent
organization of Federchimica, will present its views on REACH
to the EU Parliament

November 10-11: meeting of the Competitiveness Council

November 27: meeting of the Competitiveness Council



7. (U) Action requested: As noted above, the USG through the
Embassy has been invited to the October 17 meeting. EPA and
Department are asked to consider and suggest appropriate
people from Washington to attend this meeting. Please
contact EST Counselor at Embassy Rome with suggestions.
Embassy will forward further details, draft agenda and list
of other invited participants when they become available
(early September).


8. (U) This cable has been prepared by Rome Embassy SCI
Intern Lisa George.
Sembler


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2003ROME03629 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED