ENVIRONMENT

ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT

European environmental policies are not trade barriers, but are aimed at combating climate change and protecting biodiversity and consumers, according to European Union officials. Environmental standards were applied equally to all products, whether produced within Europe or imported, said the EU.

Friedrich Hamburger, the head of the European Commission delegation to Thailand, said that while controls may now be seen as restrictions on certain substances or products, the principle was to encourage manufacturers to adopt more eco-friendly materials.

Ambassador Hamburger, speaking at a conference on EU environmental policies, said the goal was to use eco-friendly materials that facilitated recycling and minimised waste at the end of the product's life cycle.

Timo Makela, an EC environmental official, said it Thai businesses needed to understand the changes occurring in the European regulatory environment.

Of the 300 laws dealing with the environment, 25% are production-related legal acts, he said. ''They are all binding and many of them are already in place or are being revised for full effective implementation.''

The EU, he said, was also trying to ensure that all stakeholders understood the impacts of the policies. Technical assistance with the new rules is offered to other countries, including Thai businesses, through the three-year, 90 million Switch programme. One-third of the funds are dedicated to Asean.

But of the 320 proposals received in the first round of the programme, only two came from Thailand, he added.

Pramon Sutiwong, the chairman of Thai Chamber of Commerce, called on the EU to offer an ''early warning'' about regulatory changes to help give Thai businesses time to adjust.

He said the Thai government should also offer funding to establish test labs and certification bodies to facilitate exports to Europe.

The rules include new standards for electrical appliances, industrial waste and disposables. Other laws are pending on landfill management, the disposal of cars, electrical appliances and chemicals.

By Bangkok Post On 30 May 2008

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