The European Commission (EC) was required to define criteria for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) by the end of 2013. Yet it missed the deadline and, therefore, in May 2014 the Swedish government decided to take the EC to court (previously reported on by the FPF). On January 28, 2015 the non-governmental organization the International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec) reported that the European Council will join Sweden’s legal case against the Commission. Moreover, the European Parliament is supporting the case. Further, 21 EU Member States voted in favor of joining Sweden’s case on 16 January, 2015. Four member states did not participate in the voting and three did not respond by the deadline. On January 20, 2015 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) sent a letter to Vytenis Andriukaitis, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, urging the EC to work towards science-based EDC criteria. In the letter, MEPs also expressed their strong concerns regarding the planned impact assessment to identify EDC criteria. Additionally, MEPs stressed that the public consultation did not follow the roadmap adopted by the EC in June 2014. The roadmap states that criteria should be applicable in the wider legislation covering the regulation of EDCs. However, the public consultation focused primarily on pesticides and biocides, but not on other legislations such as those applicable to food contact materials.
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ChemSec (January 28, 2015). “Member states and European Parliament join Swedish court case on EDC criteria.”
ChemSec (January 28, 2015).“MEPs letter to Commissioner Andriukaitis.” (pdf)
