Ellen MacArthur Foundation initiates New Plastics Economy Global Commitment to stop plastic pollution at source; 290+ organizations pledge to eliminate, innovate, circulate plastic packaging
EFSA working group updates in March 2020
Minutes from recent meetings of the EFSA CEP panel and working groups on bisphenol A, FCMs, and recycling plastics published; 13th CEP Panel plenary meeting on April 28-30, 2020 open to observers, registration open until April 24
EU plastics strategy published
European Commission adopts EU-wide strategy for plastics in the circular economy, aims to make all plastic packaging recyclable, reduce single-use plastics, ban intentional microplastics
New safety assessment procedure for unknown NIAS
New safety assessment of unknown non-intentionally added substances (NIAS) in food contact materials (FCM) presented
100 substances in CoRAP for 2019-2021
ECHA publishes list of 96 substances planned to be evaluated by EU Member States in 2019-2021 under the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP)
Industry sets 90% glass collection target for EU
European glass container industry association sets target for glass collection to 90% by 2030; launches ‘Close the Glass Loop’ stewardship program
Parabens increase BPA exposure
Parabens inhibit several biotransformation enzymes involved in steroid hormone metabolism and chemical detoxification; study in mice shows that co-exposure with butyl paraben results in elevated internal levels of estradiol and BPA
EU Commission presents EDC strategy
European Commission publishes communication outlining the EU’s strategic approach to managing endocrine disruptors; NGOs criticize lack of specific actions and missing timeline to reduce EDC exposure
EDCs: Sweden wins court case against European Commission
General Court of the European Union concludes that the European Commission has breached EU law by failing to define criteria for identification of endocrine disrupting chemicals
Many REACH registrations non-compliant
Study by German authorities finds 32% of high production volume chemicals non-compliant with REACH safety data requirements; 31% compliant, rest uncertain; European Environmental Bureau suggests actions for improvement