In an article published on July 20, 2017 by EurActiv, Genon Jensen, executive director of the non-profit organization Health and Environmental Alliance (HEAL), discussed Europe’s approach to regulating endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). He claimed that it fails to follow the latest scientific developments and, moreover, does not “acknowledge the societal demands for a transition to safer alternatives.”
On July 4, 2017, Member States voted in favor of the European Commission (EC) proposal for criteria to identify EDCs for pesticides (FPF reported). However, “the criteria agreed are narrow, insufficient, impractical, and they will make it very difficult – if not impossible – to prove that a pesticide is disrupting the endocrine system,” said Jensen. He further emphasized that the high burden of proof required to identify the substance as an EDC, along with the big “loopholes in the identification criteria” will allow the EDC-containing products to remain longer on the market, “leaving people exposed to their effects and weighing heavily on public health budgets.” Human exposure to potential EDCs is widespread (FPF reported), and costs of diseases arising from EDC exposure in Europe may reach up to €270 billion (FPF reported).
Jensen called on the European Parliament to “have courage” to veto the “flawed pesticides criteria,” acknowledging that “it is time to disrupt business as usual and put the health of the current and future generations first.”
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Genon Jensen (July 20, 2017). “Addressing endocrine disrupting chemicals requires an integrated strategy.” EurActiv
