“Since it’s such a touchy issue, it needs to be handled very diplomatically and implemented in such a way that you maximise its effect without making it toothless”

Taxation is one of the few tools EU member states have if they want to protect their citizens from toxic substances to an even larger extent than what the EU’s chemicals legislations currently do, and it is an option that ChemSec would like to see member states explore even more than today. It could play an important role in driving the transition towards safer products, especially since REACH and other EU-wide legal frameworks are moving so slowly.

But it’s not uncontroversial. There are always some people whose faces turn tomato red whenever taxes are brought up – no matter if the intention of the tax holds the potential to help current and future generations to avoid a plethora of health-related issues.