In an article published September 30, 2014 by the non-governmental organization Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, the recently launched public consultation on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is being criticized. The online consultation aims to help in identifying criteria for EDCs (previously reported on by the FPF). Everyone is invited to submit contributions to this consultation, however, as highlighted by PAN Europe, the questions are excessively technical and thus not targeted at the general public. PAN Europe stresses in its article that as a result only industry and research institutes will be able to participate within the short consultation period of 3.5 months.
The deadline for publication of EDC criteria, as required within the European Plant Protection Regulation (PPR), was missed in December 2013 (previously reported on by the FPF). In June 2014 the EU Commission published a roadmap detailing the different options for criteria on EDCs as well as for regulatory decision-making. Following the roadmap, the Commission launched the public consultation on EDCs in order to gather the views of the public. PAN Europe emphasized that public consultations are a key regulatory tool, but conclude that the one on EDCs will fail “to provide the public opinion”.
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PAN Europe (September 30, 2014). “Public consultation on EDCs not so «public»”
