According to an article published September 9, 2014 by the European news provider EurActiv the new transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) could undermine EU legislative efforts regarding endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). In the article Robert Pederson, food policy coordinator at the multi-stakeholder platform Arc2020, points out that the European Commission is currently considering a revision of the European pesticides legislation, thereby potentially facilitating the marketing of EDC-containing products. Further, Pederson reports on recent efforts by the U.S. and EU to seek a ‘harmonized approach’ on EDCs under the TTIP. In letters sent to the U.S. Trade Representative some industries have called the European ban of neonicotinoid, a specific class of pesticides suspected to harm especially bees, an “abuse of the precautionary principle”, Pederson illustrates. As a consequence he expresses concern that harmonization efforts may undermine European EDC legislation and the EDC criteria still to be decided on.
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Robert Pederson (September 1, 2009). “EU legislative work on hormone-affecting chemicals could be undermined by TTIP.” EurActiv.
