FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2017
Brussels – On Thursday, September 28th, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) voted to uphold the objections to the EU Commission proposal for criteria to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the Pesticides Regulation. The objections to the criteria echo the findings of two legal analyses by CIEL and ClientEarth earlier this week, which concluded the criteria are illegal, in particular for containing an exemption that would allow the use of substances specifically designed to disrupt the endocrine system in pesticides.
“MEPs with a dedicated focus on the environment and health issues have stood up for European well-being this morning in confirming that the EU Commission’s criteria to identify EDCs are illegal and should be rejected,” says Giulia Carlini, Staff Attorney. “As the vote moves to the full Parliament, MEPs should listen to the expert opinions of scientists, lawyers, and now their own colleagues to oppose the illegal criteria. A vote against the criteria would send a clear message to the Commission: revise the criteria to respect science, uphold the rule of law, and protect our health.”
The ENVI Committee vote to uphold the objections means that the full Parliament will vote on whether to confirm their objections next week. If the Parliament votes against the proposal, the Commission will have to revise the criteria or accept the continued use of interim criteria.
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