In the Plenary session in Strasbourg today, the European Parliament acknowledged the special place occupied by essential oil production in the EU. The decision, led by rapporteur Maria Spyraki (EPP, GR), was greeted with relief by the entire sector, sending a sign of encouragement ahead of trilogue negotiations.
The European Parliament Plenary has provided a welcome clarification for the agricultural and cosmetic sectors, with a decision to approve the report on the proposal for a revision of the regulation on classification, labelling, and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP), by integrating specific provisions for essential oils and other natural products for the classification rules.
The importance of an adequate classification of essential oils and naturals under the CLP classification rules was essential to avoid forcing agricultural producers to abandon the cultivation of essential oils crops. Now the European Parliament will be able to negotiate a text in which essential oils are treated differently from petrochemicals in the classification of potentially dangerous substances.
The text already voted in ENVI committee, stems from an agreement reached aiming at considering adapted rules for the essential oils and other natural extracts under article 5.3. (a). The amendment[1], which protects the current approach to the classification of More than One Constituent Substances (MOCS), is set to positively impact thousands of farmers and seasonal workers, located mainly in Member States producing rose, lavender, lemon, or bergamot oil such as Bulgaria, Spain, France, or Italy.
By safeguarding the future of essential oil crops, the European Parliament has provided a salutary clarification that must now be taken into account in trilogues.
Fonte: Copa Cogeca
