Overseas
The European Parliament has allowed new REACH restrictions on lead in fishing tackle to move forward. During its plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs rejected an objection to the European Commission regulation amending Annex XVII of REACH by 455 votes to 197, with seven abstentions. The measure covers specific products containing at least 1% lead by weight, including fishing sinkers, lures, fishing wire and drop-off weights, with different transition periods depending on the product category.
Parliament allows the regulation to advance
The dossier on lead in fishing tackle has passed a significant political stage in Strasbourg. The European Parliament rejected an objection to the European Commission regulation introducing new restrictions under REACH, the European Union’s main regulatory framework for protecting human health and the environment from chemical risks.
The outcome was clear: 197 MEPs voted in favour of the objection, 455 voted against it and seven abstained. The objection was supported by members of the Patriots for Europe group, including Italian Lega representatives Anna Maria Cisint and Silvia Sardone. Cisint had previously criticised the proposed restrictions, raising concerns about their potential impact on fishing operators, recreational anglers and the fishing-tackle industry.
The practical effect of the vote is equally clear. Parliament did not block the measure. The official European Parliament procedure file records the objection as rejected, allowing the proposed restrictions on lead in certain types of fishing equipment to continue through the EU adoption process.
Parliament voted on an objection, not on a new law
The vote must be interpreted carefully. The plenary did not approve an entirely new piece of ordinary legislation, nor did it introduce an immediate and universal ban on lead in fishing.
MEPs rejected an objection to a Commission regulation amending Annex XVII of REACH, which lists restrictions on the manufacture, placing on the market and use of certain hazardous substances.
The distinction is technical but important. In practical terms, the Strasbourg vote allows the European restrictions to advance. Politically, it shows that the attempt to stop the measure in Parliament failed to secure the necessary majority.
The debate focused primarily on the consequences for the fishing-tackle industry. Supporters of the objection highlighted the challenges involved in replacing lead, a material traditionally used because of its density, workability, cost and technical performance.
The issue affects manufacturers, distributors, specialist retailers, commercial fishing operators and recreational anglers. The majority of Parliament nevertheless rejected the objection and allowed the procedure to continue.
What the restrictions mean for fishing tackle
According to the draft Commission regulation, the restrictions cover specific fishing products containing lead at concentrations equal to or greater than 1% by weight. The scope includes fishing sinkers, lures, fishing wires and drop-in sinkers.
It does not therefore impose an immediate and indiscriminate elimination of lead from every product or component used in fishing. The regulation targets defined product categories and introduces different transition periods.
Fishing wires and drop-in sinkers are subject to the shortest deadline, set at six months after the regulation enters into force.
For fishing sinkers and lures weighing up to 50 grams, the transition period is three years. For sinkers and lures weighing more than 50 grams and up to one kilogram, the deadline rises to five years.
The regulation also distinguishes between placing products on the market and their actual use. The sales restriction applies to the covered products when intended for any fishing activity. The restriction on use, however, applies specifically to commercial fishing.
Existing products already placed on the EU market before the relevant deadlines may continue to be used under the conditions established by the regulation. Recreational use is not harmonised by the measure, leaving Member States free to maintain or introduce national restrictions.
Different deadlines for different products
The phased approach will be one of the most important elements for the sector. Manufacturers will need to review their product ranges, assess alternative materials and adapt production lines.
Distributors and retailers will have to manage inventories, existing stocks and customer information. Users, meanwhile, will need to determine which products are covered and when the relevant restrictions become applicable.
The regulation also introduces information requirements. Six months after its entry into force, retail outlets and distance sellers will be required to clearly indicate the presence of lead in the products concerned and provide information on the applicable restrictions.
Several exemptions remain. These include weights enclosed, embedded or threaded into fishing nets or lines, lures made from copper alloys containing less than 3% lead and split shot weighing no more than 0.06 grams when sold in spill-proof and child-resistant packaging.
Sinkers weighing more than one kilogram are also outside the restriction because the Commission considers them unlikely to be ingested by birds.
The Strasbourg vote does not settle every operational question, but it clarifies the political direction. The objection has been rejected and the regulation can advance.
For the fishing-tackle market, the focus now shifts from the parliamentary vote to implementation: identifying the products covered, understanding the deadlines and preparing for compliance with the EU’s new restrictions on lead.
