- Data from June 2010, most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.
Eurostat is working on statistics on hazardous substances since the mid-1990s when some Environmental Pressure Indicators (EPI) related to chemicals were developed.
Eurostat has recently, in collaboration with the services responsible for environment and for industry of the European Commission (EC) published a baseline study, providing a set of indicators to monitor the effectiveness of the new European Union (EU) Regulation on the 'Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals' (REACH). Read the dedicated article in Statistics Explained.
Another priority of Eurostat is the development of indicators describing the production trend of chemicals which are toxic to human health and/or harmful to the environment.
These indicators are used to measure progress towards the headline objective for ‘public health’ established in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and the objective ‘to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment’ in the 6th EU Environment Action Programme.
This article explains two indicators developed and maintained by Eurostat: ‘Production of toxic chemicals’ and ‘Production of environmentally harmful chemicals’.
Main statistical findings
Total production of industrial chemicals
Figure 1 shows the European chemical industry’s production in physical volume in the EU-27 and EU-15. The production of chemicals is largely concentrated in western Europe: Four Member States in western Europe generate two thirds of the European Union's chemical production. Germany is the largest producer in Europe, followed by France, Italy and the United Kingdom in 2009. Adding Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Ireland raises the overall share to 88 %.
In the ‘old’ Member States (EU-15), between 1995 and 2007, the total production of chemicals in volume grew by 65 million tonnes (+ 26%) to the highest value (313 million tonnes). In 2008 the production decreased by 26 million tonnes (-8,3%) and in 2009 by another 35 million tonnes (-12,2%). It stood at 252 million tonnes in 2009. In the EU-27 the total production of industrial chemicals increased continuously between 2002 and 2007 (+9,7%) to the highest value (362 million tonnes). Production in the EU-27 significantly fell by 26 million tonnes (- 7,2%) in 2008 and by another 45 million tonnes (-13,4%) to 291 million tonnes in 2009 as a result of the international economic downturn.
Production of environmentally harmful chemicals
Figure 2 presents the aggregated production volumes of environmentally harmful chemicals, divided into five 'environmental impact' classes. The impacts, beginning with the most harmful, are:
- severe chronic environmental impacts;
- significant chronic environmental impacts;
- moderate chronic environmental impacts;
- chronic environmental impacts and
- significant acute environmental impacts.
The indicator monitors progress in shifting production from the most environmentally harmful to less harmful chemicals. The environmental indicator focuses on aquatic toxicity. It seeks to take into account the inherent eco-toxicity of the chemical substances, their potential for bioaccumulation and their persistence in the environment. For this purpose, substance specific data on ecotoxicity, biodegradability and bioaccumulation potential have been used. It is mainly based on the official environmental classification of the substances. Certain Risk-phrases related to chronic human toxicity are also included.
Trend analysis
The EU-27 production of environmentally harmful chemicals (all five environmental impact classes) grew from 2002 to 2007 by 10,2% to the highest value of 194 million tonnes. Production fell by 31 million tonnes (-16%) in 2008/09 and stood at 163 million tonnes in 2009; it was 7,4% lower that in 2002. The EU-15 production of environmentally harmful chemicals (all five impact classes) increased from 1996 to 2005 by 34% to the highest value (168 million tonnes). In 2009 the production in EU-15 stood at 138 million tonnes and was 4,8% lower than in 1996. In the EU-27 the share of production of classified environmentally harmful chemicals in the European Union's total chemical output was 53,3% in 2002 and 55,8% in 2009.
The chemical industry in countries from the 12 new Member States produced in 2009 with 25 million tonnes 15,3% of the environmentally harmful chemicals in the EU-27.
Production of toxic chemicals
Figure 3 presents the trend in aggregated production volumes of toxic chemicals, broken down into five ‘toxicity classes’. The classes, beginning with the most dangerous, are:
- carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) chemicals;
- chronic toxic chemicals;
- very toxic chemicals;
- toxic chemicals and
- chemicals classified as harmful.
The indicator monitors progress in shifting production from the most toxic to less toxic chemicals and addresses an important objective of REACH: to reduce risks by substitution of hazardous by less hazardous substances.
Trend analysis
The EU-27 production of toxic chemicals (all five toxicity classes) increased by 6.9% between 2002 and 2007 to the highest value of 218 million tonnes. Production fell by 17 million tonnes in 2008 (- 7,8%), went further down by 21 million tonnes (-13,4%) and stood at 180 million tonnes in 2009.
From 2002 to 2009 the overall share of chemicals classified as toxic (all five classes) in total production remained nearly unchanged with 62% in EU-27. The absolute production volume of the most toxic carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic (CMR) chemicals decreased steadily between 2002 and 2008, but remained stable in 2009 at 32 million tonnes. The relative share of these substances therefore increased from 9,5% in 2008 to 11% in 2009 in the EU-27. An in-depth analysis of this class in Eurostat's production statistics showed that most of the CMRs were produced in lower volumes in 2009. A higher production of chlorine compounds, such as vinylchloride, compensated these losses to a stable overall CMR production volume. In the ‘old’ Member States EU-15 the absolute production volume of CMRs has in 2009 gone down to the level of 1995.
The chemical industry in countries from the 12 new Member States produced in 2009 with 39 million tonnes 13,4% of the industrial chemicals, but with 27 million tonnes 15% of the toxic chemicals in the EU-27.
Conclusions
The development of toxic chemicals production is following the trend of the total chemical production. Currently there is little indication that the share of chemicals that are toxic to human health and/or harmful to eco-systems is being significantly reduced or decoupled from growth in the chemical industry. The coming years will show if a trend towards a relative decoupling of production of these chemicals from the growth of total output and Gross Domestic Product can be observed.
Data sources and availability
The indicators are derived from the annual statistics on the production of manufactured goods (Prodcom).
EU-15 statistics on toxic chemicals cover the years from 1995 to 2008. Statistics on environmentally harmful substances start in 1996, while EU-27 data are available for the years 2002 to 2009 for both indicators.
The production volumes have been aggregated to 5 so-called 'impact' classes. These classes of environmental impacts and/or toxicity to human health follow official classifications in EU legislation and scientific expert judgement.
It has to be noted that the indicators do not describe the 'real' risk from the use of chemicals. Production and consumption are not synonymous with exposure, as some chemicals are handled in closed systems, or as intermediates in controlled supply chains.
The indicator on toxic chemicals is also published as a sustainable development indicator within the theme 'Public health'.
Context
The Sixth Environment Action Programme 2002-2012 requires a complete overhaul of the European Union policies on chemicals management. REACH shall implement this objective. REACH shall ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment, include promoting alternative methods to assess the hazards of substances, the free circulation of substances on the internal market, and the enhancement of competitiveness and innovation in the EU chemical industry.
By increasing the knowledge about the hazardous properties of chemicals, REACH is expected to enhance the communication and implementation of conditions of safe use in supply chains and the substitution of dangerous substances by less dangerous ones. Through different types of measures REACH should lead to less risks to human health and the environment.
Further Eurostat information
Publications
- The REACH baseline study - A methodology to set the baseline for REACH and monitor its implementation, June 2009
- The REACH baseline study – A tool to monitor the new EU policy on chemicals - Statistics in focus 48/2009
Main tables
- Indicators
- Public health
- Sub-theme: DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
- 9. Index of production of toxic chemicals, by toxicity class (QP)
- Public health
Source data for tables, figures and maps on this page (MS Excel)
External links
- European Chemicals Agency - ECHA
- European Commission - Enterprise and Industry - REACH
- European Commission 6th Environment Action Programme