europeans will continue to be exposed to significant levels of dioxin caused by the disposal of scrap cars, despite a proposed legislation agreed by the European Union ( eu ) Commission. The Commission has dropped plans to include in the legislation the provision for phasing out of polyvinylchloride, ( pvc) in cars. According to a Greenpeace campaigner, Axel Singhofen, the commission has bowed to the pressure of the us and the pvc industry. "Once again, the eu has surrendered environmental and health protection to commercial and economic interests," he said. The aim of the new directive was to promote cleaner and more efficient material use to reduce the problems of 8,000,000 to 9,000,000 million cars scrapped annually in Europe.The toxic and hormone disruptive properties of the pvc can be replaced by cleaner and safer substitutes that exist in the European market. Greenpeace said it would urge the eu Parliament to reinstate the original text of the legislation to phase out pvc and heavy metals. However, it has welcomed the Commission's statement that it will come up with proposals to address environmental problems connected with pvc disposal in general.
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