Strengthening the single-government peace law regulations … The dish to be punished for dyeing and nail art

Photo = Getty Image Bank

The ruling Democratic Party and the ruling party proposed an amendment to the Law on Registration and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (Peace Law), which expanded the scope of the sanctions. If the bill is approved by the National Assembly, not only those who manufacture and import unregistered chemicals, but also those who use and sell unregistered chemicals will be punished. Experts were concerned that “in relation to the registration of chemicals, sales and users will bear an excessive burden of verification, and manufacturers and importers will bear the burden of verification.”

According to the National Assembly Agenda Information System on the 23rd, Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Ho-young proposed an amendment to the Peace Law that expands the regulations that allowed the Minister of the Environment to issue an order to take action. to those who manufacture and import existing unregistered chemicals. It began on the 22nd. Representative Ahn is secretary of the Labor and Environment Committee of the Democratic Party of the National Assembly, and he is known to have a great possibility of legislation. Currently, chemical manufacturers and importers who violate the Environment Minister’s order of action are subject to prison terms of up to 5 years or fines of up to 100 million won. Those who used or sold unregistered chemicals were jailed for up to three years or fined up to 50 million won.

Regarding the motive for the proposed bill, Congressman Ahn said: “We have reorganized the relevant regulations so that people who have used or sold unregistered chemicals can be ordered to take action. We have also prepared a base ”.

The small and medium-sized business community is responding that it is desperate because the deregulation of the Peace Law, which had been longed for by the industry, once again “strengthens the regulations”. An industry official said: “If the bill passes, consumers using products containing unregistered chemicals may also be subject to orders of action. In the chemical industry, SMEs will die and only large companies with the cost of registration will survive. ” Appealed.

“Regulation is still strong …”
Expansion of the objectives of the Peace Law regulations … Even supermarkets and local consumers are punished

In addition, when the news was known that the Democratic Party is promoting the strengthening of the regulations on registration and evaluation of chemical substances (Peace Law), the industry took an emergency. The companies vigorously protested, saying: “The Korean Peace Law, which still regulates the best standard in the world, is unlikely to be further strengthened.” Businesses are being pressured to make matters worse, as the ruling party has taken steps to strengthen environmental regulations following the implementation of the Third Corporate Regulation Law (amendment to the Fair Trade and Trade Law and the enactment of the Law Supervision of Financial Groups).

“The chemical business must end” in China

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strongly oppose the inclusion of “users” and “sellers” as punishment for handling unregistered chemicals under the Peace Law. An official from a fine chemical company noted: “Consumers who buy auto parts with plating fluid, housewives with pans with special coatings, and consumers with colored hair or nail art could be penalized,” said a civil servant of a fine chemical company. The official said: “It appears that Korea is almost the only one in the world that allows all chemicals mixed with 0.1% to be registered. Most car plating, pan coating and tinting products use imported products. , and these foreign companies “The government is not following the government’s registration policy to protect trade secrets, which means that criminals are being mass produced in all parts of our lives.”

No-sung Kwak, a special professor in the Department of Science Policy at Hanyang University, said: “If you go to the field of small and medium-sized chemical enterprises in Korea, there are many small factories that are not familiar with document work itself. for the registry of the Law of Peace. Do you want to close all those places? ” You can follow this process and pay for it, but it is impossible for small and medium-sized businesses. “Special Professor Kwak added:” People who sell chemicals will be punished if they sell unregistered chemicals inadvertently, thus increasing the charge to verify content “.

Concerns about administrative waste and redundant regulation

Some point out that when the bill is processed and sanctions such as an order of action are imposed on sellers and users, additional public officials are placed for this, which generates a waste of administrative power. One legislative expert said: “Either way, expanding regulatory reach inevitably leads to additional input from public officials.” “In a situation where there is little chance of circulating unregistered chemicals on the market due to manufacturing and import regulations, it is necessary to put more administrative power on the market. I wonder how effective it will be. “

Expert members of the National Assembly also commented that it would be excessive to extend the scope of sanctions for unregistered chemicals to vendors and users. Regarding a similar bill initiated at the time of the 20th National Assembly, Kwang-sik Yoon, an expert member of the National Assembly’s Environmental Working Committee, published a review report and said: “There is an opinion that it is Too much penalize the general public who used unregistered chemicals because access to information is relatively insufficient compared to commercial operators.

Representative Ahn Ho-young showed intent to enforce the amendment process. An official of Congressman Ahn said: “It is a bill initiated after hearing the opinions of relevant ministries such as the Party Policy Committee and the Ministry of the Environment,” and “a bill that has a clear purpose of interest. public as consumer protection. ” The official said: “If there is a problem, we will consider adding a statement that users and sellers of unregistered chemicals do not correspond to consumers or retailers.”

Reporter Kim So-hyun / Ahn Dae-gyu / Choi Ye-rin [email protected]