30 June 2015


Preventing the down-fall of the EDCs policy: Bringing back the science on EDCs to the European Parliament for open discussion (EDCs Roundtable 30th June 2015, 15:00-18:00)

Organised by Pesticide Action Network Europe and hosted by  MEP  Nicola  Caputo (S&D), this roundtable meeting [1] aims to bring back the science to the forefront of the EDC debate in the European Parliament, and discuss openly the issue of EDCs with all regulatory actors involved and parties of interest.

MEPs, the Commission’s directorates, Member States, the European Food Safety Authority, stakeholders and academics have been  invited  to  take  part  to  this  high level independent science meeting on endocrine disruption and discuss the urge for an immediate regulation of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in the EU.

The Pesticide Regulation 1107/2009 that came into force in 2011, followed by the Biocide Regulation 528/2012, requires banning the use of products that disrupt the function of the hormonal system in living organisms. This is a recognition that endocrine  disruption  in humans and wildlife is an issue of concern (as confirmed in a WHO report in 2013) that requires the application of the precautionary principle to  protect  humans  and  the environment. The only element still missing is the set of criteria to identify EDCs.

EU regulations must be based on science, a task first followed by DG environment, which in collaboration with experts on endocrinology and toxicology produced a set of draft criteria to identify EDCs. But the European Commission missed the deadline  to  present  the  EDC criteria in December 2013 and Secretariat-General ordered an impact assessment on four potential criteria options, three out of which are likely to overlook some EDCs. Not only we now have a 2-3 years delay in the regulation of these chemicals but  we  may  end  up choosing the unsuitable criteria to protect human health and the environment.

With the aim to avoid any further delays, PAN Europe calls once more regulators to make use of the important amount of scientific knowledge behind these chemicals and act now to protect not just ourselves but the future generations. We need to ban EDCs from pesticides that end as residues in our foods, biocides used in households and all other products that come in direct contact with humans and wildlife. This change  requires  a  collaborative support from all parties, to open the road towards investment to alternative technologies and practices that don’t prejudice human health and the environment.

Quotes:

Angeliki Lysimachou, Environmental Toxicologist, and coordinator of the EDCs campaign in PAN Europe says: “Today, we bring back the science to the forefront of the EDCs debate. We hope with this meeting to resolve some questions and uncertainties behind EDCs and help regulators accelerate the process of defining the correct EDC criteria that will protect human health and the environment from these substances”.

MEP Nicola Caputo (S&D): “We can no longer wait. I want to make it clear that the time for political action has come.  The European Union should  act  to  reduce  exposure  to  EDCs. Even if we do not have all the answers, we do know enough to regulate these substances in accordance with the precautionary principle”.

Further information

For further information please contact:

Angeliki Lysimachou, Tel +32 (0)496392930 angeliki@pan-europe.info

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