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EARLY IMPLEMENTATION OF REACH THROUGH SOCIAL DIALOGUE AND VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS

Presentation: Giuseppe D’Ercole

CISL, Rome

Department of Sustainable Development Policies

ETUC REACH Conference

Brussels, 12 March 2005

www.ambiente.cisl.it

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THESIS

Success in implementing the REACH objectives could be increased if industrial relations and instruments of social dialogue were implemented according to the best practices of each country (SM) and if the voluntary agreements, in their most unequivocal, widely practised and transparent form, were implemented with the involvement of the various stakeholders.

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A TRADITION OF GOOD PRACTICE WHERE INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ARE CONCERNED

From bargaining to global agreements:• Responsible care• National chemicals agreement for the

energy industry• Cross-sector agreement: transporting

hazardous substances by sea

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RESPONSIBLE CARE

• Open factories• Employees, family members, local

communities• Further environmental improvements

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CHEMICALS AGREEMENT FOR THE ENERGY INDUSTRY:

THE WORKERS' ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE is entitled to:

• a number of hours of leave, paid for by the company, to attend training;

• a number of hours of paid leave for activities outside production sites, dialoguing with the local community and authorities on matters relating to environmental impact.

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WORKERS' ENVIRONMENTAL REPRESENTATIVE

= SUSTAINABILITY REPRESENTATIVE

The chemicals industry has given rise to representatives:• whose role is to monitor the sustainability of

environmental activities, who are company trade union representatives and should remember their civic rights and responsibilities;

• who help companies to strike a balance that is increasingly geared towards environmental sustainability and social acceptance of production activities in the region where the company is located.

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CROSS-SECTOR AGREEMENT

• Safety in transporting hazardous substances by sea

• Chemical and oil companies use 'double hull' ships only

• Sea Worker training programme on safety and waste management

• Expansion of harbour facilities for waste disposal and tank cleaning

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DIVIDING UP THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL COMPETITIVITY

• Promoting innovation

• Considering the crucial aspects

• Managing complexity

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WORKING HYPOTHESIS

Voluntary agreements:

• NATIONAL PROGRAMME AGREEMENTS• EUROPEAN PROGRAMME AGREEMENTS• GLOBAL AGREEMENTS LABEL?

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GLOBAL AGREEMENTS LABEL?

The programme agreements between the company and the relevant institutions through which trade unions, environmental organisations and consumers are also involved, could use a special label indicating those companies which, besides being involved with REACH, also have their commitment and activity programme monitored by the authorities and supervised by qualified stakeholders.