For now, a postponement has been reached regarding lead hunting cartridges, but a postponement is not a victory.
The REACH Committee, President Marco Dreosto, officially spoke on behalf of the entire Hunting and Biodiversity Intergroup, announcing that the written vote requested and obtained by the Czech government has been suspended.
Furthermore, the German government appears to be supporting a 36-month extension instead of 24 months for the implementation of the proposed regulatory provisions if they are finally passed.
Marco Dreosto argues that clarity is needed, without getting carried away by demagogy. The issue is serious and far from resolved, and deserves to be treated and communicated with due care. In essence, while several countries, including Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Ireland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland, and Malta, could vote no or abstain, it appears that Germany has already decided to accept the revised EC proposal for a 36-month transition period.
In practice, the Committee's decision on whether or not to approve the REACH Regulation would be delayed by approximately two months, but the outcome does not appear to deviate too much from the Commission's line, although an outcry is expected as soon as the issue is examined by the European Parliament.
