Zero Chemical Pollution: A real new impetus for change?

Abstract

The chapter analyses the legal implications of the Zero Pollution Initiative, which builds on the myriad of legislative measures currently being worked on by the European Commission. It remains to be seen to what extent it represents a new impetus for change, beyond the merely revision of existing European Union (EU) law, and whether it is effectively the culmination of the EU’s new climate ambition. Due to the broad scope of the Zero Pollution initiative, the research focuses on the regulation of chemicals, an area of a particular complexity. In this context, the deployment of the Zero Pollution also has a clear external dimension. The EU is highly dependent on raw materials and products originating outside its borders. It is also an exporter of chemicals and waste to third countries. The impact on third countries is, on the one hand, a direct reflection of the EU’s internal policies, be they environmental but also trade, agriculture or industry policies. On the other hand, the EU sometimes seeks this external impact to reduce the scale of its global ecological footprint by promoting compliance with international commitments or by encouraging the adoption of new multilateral measures.