Draconian environmental legislation in Europe will trigger an exodus
of British chemicals and biotechnology companies to the Pacific Basin, warned
the head of Britain鈥檚 Chemical Industries Association last week. 鈥楾here鈥檚
a real threat that the worldwide business fabric will change and the Pacific
Basin is where science and investment will happen,鈥� said John Cox, director
general of the CIA.
In a briefing for journalists, he pointed out that the British chemicals
industry contributes 拢2.75 billion to the country鈥檚 balance of payments,
employs around 300 000 people and has an annual turnover of 拢30 billion.
It spends 6 per cent of that on research and development.
These jobs and assets will drift abroad if the industry is penalised
by impractical laws which demand marginal environmental improvements
at enormous cost, putting the industry at a disadvantage in competition
with other trading blocs.
Advertisement
Cox favours a voluntary system of pollution control rather than one
policed from Brussels by 鈥榓n army of inspectors鈥�. With 10 000 chemicals
companies in Europe, 鈥榠t would be impossible to consolidate a police force
in Brussels to make sure that every company was complying at each site in
each process on every day of the year鈥�, he said.
To overcome public mistrust, the industry urging the European Community
to adopt scheme of inspections by independent 鈥榚co-auditors鈥�. The industry
has been operating a similar voluntary scheme, called 鈥楻esponsible Care鈥�,
since 1989. The auditors measure a company鈥檚 performance in reaching a range
of environmental and safety standards.
鈥楶eer pressure and voluntary systems are much more reliable,鈥� said Cox.
He pointed out, for example, that existing directives require each plant
to meet prescribed standards for their effluent. 鈥業f there are four chemicals
plants on an estuary, it is silly for them all to have to meet an impractical
standard. It鈥檚 better if they can work, together to limit the overall amount
of pollution they discharge.鈥�
Cox was also dismayed by the Community鈥檚 proposed carbon tax to discourage
emissions of carbon dioxide. The tax would penalise industry disproportionately,
he argued, while major polluters such as motorists would get off lightly.
鈥業f you unilaterally move to indirect taxation, business will go elsewhere.
(Europe) will become uncompetitive and give its business on a plate to foreign
肠辞尘辫补苍颈别蝉.鈥�
