Statement following ECHA 11th recommendation

ILA has written to the European Commission requesting it to reject a recommendation from ECHA – the EU chemicals regulator – to include lead on its REACH list of substances requiring authorisation. ILA has sent the Commission an open statement signed by a range of businesses and associations representing downstream users of lead, warning that including lead in the REACH Authorisation List would have severe consequences for a broad range of strategically important European industries and applications – including non-ferrous metals manufacturing, lead battery production, automotive, machinery and mechanical engineering industries, the marine sector, aeronautics, space, and defence, healthcare, such as clean energy, solar, nuclear and offshore wind.

The statement goes on to advise policymakers about lead’s essential role in the shielding of ionising radiation, to protect workers, patients, and members of the public, as an alloying agent, and many more applications for which lead is an essential raw material that does not have any technical or socioeconomically viable alternatives.