A new Eurobarometer was published which examined Europeans' perception of chemicals and attitudes to safety. The survey followed the fifth anniversary of the entry into force of REACH and its results showed indeed that Europeans feel more secure in using chemicals as well as they believe more that the EU protects them properly. The most interesting findings (to me) were:- the majority of people think that there are chemicals in articles of daily use, however, only 56% express certainty on this issue;
- with regards to checking ingredients of the products consumers purchase, 81% would look into ingredients of food they buy, but only 23% would check electronics;
- over 52% consumers Europeans disagree that new chemical substances can help in contributing to better environment;
- 46% of Europeans is cautious in purchasing new products containing new chemical substances - they would wait a long time to see whether the product proved to be working and safe before buying it;
- only 2% would buy a new product immediately;
- 49% of respondents believed that EU manufactured products containing chemical substances were safer than those imported from outside the EU.
For other issues, see the Flash Eurobarometer 361.
