US THREATENS TO BLOCK TREATY ON TOXIC POLLUTANTS

3 February 2000

AMSTERDAM -- A letter, leaked by Greenpeace today, from the US State Department to the European Union (EU), reveals that the US is demanding that the EU drops its current commitment to elimate some of the world’s most toxic chemicals.

The debate centres on US attempts to break EU support for developing countries (G-77) that are aiming to eliminate synthetic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes, such as dioxins, that are known human carcinogens. The US is urging the EU to vote with them and do no more than reduce toxic emmissions at the next negotiations of the global persistent organic pollutants (POPs) treaty, meeting in Bonn, March 2000.

"This letter exposes a cynical attempt by the US to bully other countries into allowing toxic emmissions to continue. The question is whether the EU can publicly defend becoming the willing puppet of the well known US negotiation technique, and watch it watering down international treaties and then refusing to ratify and follow them," said Greenpeace toxic campaigner, Wytze van der Naald. "Whilst toxic chemical pollutants remain the main problem of the negotatiations, the US is fast becoming the major obstacle to international solutions," he added.

Contrary to what the US states in the communique, G-77 countries have an interest to follow the EU-commitments on elimination as is the case with the African Group (INC3 CRP34) and other members of the G-77 group, that are calling for elimination, not only for pesticide POPs, but also for POPs, such as dioxins, that are produced unintentionally, as a by-product.

On Monday 7th February, the US will be meeting with EU and other OECD countries at the OECD headquarters to informally discuss the EU position on POPs. "The EU must refuse to be manipulated and continue to forge ahead and phase out toxic pollution as they committed themselves to under European agreements, such as OSPAR," added van der Naald.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

- Wytze van der Naald on + 31 20 523 6209 or + 31 20 627 9330 (h)
- Matilda Bradshaw, Greenpeace International press desk, + 31 20 524 9545

US Communique available from: www.greenpeace.org/~toxics/frontpage.html

The Intergovernmental Committee meeting on POPs is taking place in Bonn on 20th-25th March 2000.