LITHUANIA: REACH DIRECTIVE COSTLY, INEVITABLE

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000541 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EUR/NB COMMERCE FOR DON WRIGHT (4211/MAC/OEU) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETRD BEXP LH SUBJECT: LITHUANIA: REACH DIRECTIVE COSTLY, INEVITABLE REF: USDOC 2311 ¶1. (SBU) We delivered reftel points on USG views regarding the draft versions of the REACH Directive to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Economy on June 1. We also delivered a copy of the points to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Trade Division. ¶2. (SBU) The Chief Officer of the Ministry of Economy's Products Technical Regulation Division Ilona Jegorova opined June 8 that REACH implementation is inevitable now that the EU Council has reached political agreement on the Directive. That said, Jegorova continued, the GOL shares many of the USG's concerns about the costs and workability of several aspects of REACH. She said that the GOL for the most part prefers the Council's version of the directive to the European Parliament's (EP) version. Aurelija Bajoraitiene, Chief Desk Officer of the Ministry of Environment's Chemical Management Division, agreed. She emphasized that the reconciliation of the Council's version and the EP's version will allow for further improvements in the text, and that she expected all stakeholders, including industry, to participate in this process. Bajorataitiene said that the GOL shares USG concerns that the development of the REACH Implentation Projects (RIPS) technical guidance documents, as well, should be a transparent process, involving a broad spectrum of stakeholders. ¶3. (SBU) Jegorova observed that most Lithuanians have never heard of REACH and that the GOL intends to launch an informational campaign to alert citizens and businesses about REACH compliance. We emphasized that REACH will affect many American companies, and urged the GOL to ensure that the USG and U.S. companies can participate in drafting RIPS documents. MULL