WECF and other NGOs pressing EU to take action against EDCs

More than 20 NGOs demand action following up on COP6 in a letter to Manuel Barroso

13.05.2013 |WECF

With the COP6 (6. Conference of Parties of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants) having ended and the EU reviewing its policies on synthetic chemicals, more than 20 NGOs increase the pressure on the EU to legislate against the use of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

With the current state of knowledge on the effects of EDCs on the human body, it is necessary to take on steps to reduce exposure of citizens and wildlife to such chemicals. The letters criticizes policies adopted oriented along the profit of the chemical industry, undermining public health and environmental protection. EDCs should only be accepted if no safer alternatives are available and the use is essential to society.

This letter is addressed to Commission President José Manuel Barroso, vice-president and Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani, Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, and Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner, Tonio Borg. It falls together with the EU Commission’s current development of criteria to identify EDCs and its future handling with the substances under the REACH regulation. In the letter, WECF and the NGOs call for:

comprehensive and workable criteria to identify EDCs;

a robust strategy with an emphasis on the development and implementation of screening and testing which they say are missing from current legislation; and
use of the latest science to review endocrine disruptors in the REACH authorisation process.

EDCs are chemicals which interfere with the sensitive hormonal system of the body and
cause severe long-term negative health effects. Especially young children and pregnant women are vulnerable to exposure of EDCs since their bodies are undergoing major changes and are still developing. If you want to know more about WECF's work on campaigning against EDCs, have a look here.

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