On Tuesday July 4th, European Member State representatives voted in favor of the latest EU Commission proposal for criteria to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in pesticide regulation.
The criteria require a high burden of proof that will allow most endocrine disrupting substances to remain undetected and evade regulation. This proposal was widely criticized by three leading societies of experts that warned of harms to human health and the environment, and that the criteria would undermine the objectives of the EU regulation.
Giulia Carlini, Staff Attorney released the following statement:
The criteria contain a real gift to the pesticide industry in the form of an illegal exemption, which allows some pesticides specifically designed to interfere with hormone systems unregulated. And because these criteria are narrowly designed for application within the Biocide and Pesticide regulations to the exclusion of all other areas where EDCs exist, the criteria cannot be used in the context of the cosmetics, food packaging, children’s toys, and medical devices regulation, thereby guaranteeing continued exposure from these products.
The European Parliament and Council now have three months to oppose to the criteria. If they are serious about protecting people and the environment from dangerous EDC exposure, they should do so.
Notes for Editors:
CIEL joined more than 70 NGOs in denouncing EU States failure to protect human health and the environment.