Today the European Scrutiny Committee publishes analysis of EU
plans to regulate formaldehyde and for the extension of rules of
origin tariffs on electric vehicles.
The Committee has reported both documents to the House of Commons
as politically important.
Trade and cooperation agreement: Electric accumulators
and electric vehicles
Under the UK/EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) tariffs
were to be imposed on sales of electric vehicles that contain
materials originating from outside the UK or EU, such as
batteries. Due to concerns around the impact on vehicle
producers, these rules have now been extended to 2026. The TCA
was also amended to remove the Partnership Council’s ability to
further extend the date.
In its report, the Committee suggests the removal of the
Partnership Council’s ability to make any further extensions
“begs the question of what will happen at the end of 2026”.
The Committee’s Chair, , has also written to the
Minister for Europe, , with his concerns.
“Currently, the UK is only on target to satisfy a little over
half the capacity the nation needs by 2030,” he says. “We ask for
a thorough assessment of how the UK is going to increase this
capacity in three years’ time.”
“We are also interested in how the UK are going to attract
further investment in the sector, which will ultimately boost the
likelihood of meeting the new rules of origin requirements,” he
adds.
Windsor Framework: Formaldehyde and changes to EU REACH
legislation
Formaldehyde, a corrosive gas, can cause health risks when used
in indoor air and the interiors of road vehicles. To reduce these
risks, the European Commission has set new regulations for its
use in furniture, wood based articles and road vehicle interiors.
These rules will apply in Northern Ireland under the terms of the
Windsor Framework.
The Health and Safety Executive has initiated a consultation on
the risks of formaldehyde to the general public and whether any
further regulations are needed. The results of the consultation
have not yet been published, but the Committee looks forward to
further information in due course.
ENDS
European Scrutiny Committee
The Committee considers the legal and political importance of EU
documents deposited in Parliament by the government. Since 31
December 2020 its analysis has focused on documents that fall
within the scope of the Northern Ireland Protocol (now known as
the Windsor Framework).
