Two months after the European Parliament resolution
on the negative impact of a number of chemicals
used in food and cosmetics production in the EU,
local and regional representatives have called on
the European Commission to provide a higher level
of protection from hazardous chemicals. According
to studies, endocrine disruptors, or EDCs, have a
harmful effect on the work of the body's hormones,
leading to infertility, obesity and cancers . In
children, they are increasingly linked to autism
and other conditions.
Given that the local and regional authorities are
responsible for health services in most EU Member
States they are also obliged to attend to the
well-being of their populations and take position
regarding EDC. According to the European Committee of
the Regions (CoR),
the European Commission's response to EDC
does not deal adequately with health risks and does not
provide a sufficiently solid framework to treat these
chemical across all EU laws. There is no concrete
action plan or timetable to achieve progress in this
area. The rapporteur for the opinion
Towards a comprehensive EU framework on
endocrine disruptors
, Uno Silberg (EE/EA) stressed the
need for preventive action.
"Endocrine disruptors have a devastating long-term
impact not only on human health but also on fauna and
flora. While their presence is widespread, there is
very little public awareness of the risks they pose. We
need action to raise public awareness and coordinated
measures at all levels to give priority to the health
of citizens, while at the same time taking into account
the interests of consumers and industry", stressed the
Leader of Kose Municipal Council.
There are currently around 800 chemicals that interfere
with the activities of hormones or are suspected to do
so. Available research shows that the annual health
costs of endocrine disruptors amount to EUR 163 billion
(1.28% of the EU's GDP). EDCs are commonly found in
cans and food storage bags and in plastic film or
packaging. They can also be found in toys, cosmetics,
food containers, pesticides and even in furniture.
The opinion stresses that reliable information on the
risks and impact of EDCs should be made available to
European citizens in an appropriate form and in
accessible language. At the same time, it is proposed
to introduce a new updated definition of endocrine
disruptors.
Local and regional elected representatives call for an
increase in resources for independent, publicly funded
research on endocrine disruptors and non-harmful
substitutes for them, as well as other innovative
solutions. At the same time, they draw attention to the
potential conflict between the protection of citizens
and the functioning of profit-making companies.
The CoR points out that endocrine disruptors should be
considered to be substances that do not have a 'safe
threshold', which means that any exposure to such
substances may pose a threat, particularly during
critical phases of development (foetal, post-natal and
puberty). Very little is also known about their
combined effect.
Background
Endocrine disruptors (EDCs)
are chemicals that alter the functioning of the
endocrine system and have a negative impact on human
and animal health. These substances may be synthetic or
natural. Exposure to them can come from a variety of
sources, such as pesticide residues or consumer
products that are used or present in everyday life.
Exposure to these substances can cause cancer, obesity,
diabetes, a decline in intelligence, impaired motor
skills, a weakening of learning skills and infertility.
Endocrine disruptors are found in such things as food
packaging, skin care products, cosmetics, building
materials, electronic devices, furniture and flooring
and toys. In order to protect fruit and vegetable
crops, these substances are added to the pesticides and
herbicides used for spraying.
The reason for the growing interest in EDCs is the
alarming increase in the incidence in humans of
diseases which endocrine disorders can play a
significant role in causing, as well as the observation
of endocrine disorders in animals used as test subjects
that are exposed to substances in the environment.
At EU level, discussions on EDCs started as long ago as
1996. Following the adoption by the European Parliament
in 1998 of its resolution on endocrine disruptors, in
December 1999 the Commission adopted a
Community Strategy for endocrine disruptors
, which was implemented through actions in the fields
of research, regulation and international cooperation.
In July 2018, the EU executive published a new strategy
to combat the impact of endocrine disruptors. A study
was also launched on the current legislation in this
area. The European Parliament referred to the strategy,
adopting resolutions (2019/2683 (RSP) calling for the
establishment of a "comprehensive European Union
framework on endocrine disruptors".
The EU has supported research into endocrine
disruptors. It has funded more than 50 projects, for
which over EUR 150 million came from the various
research and innovation framework programmes. A further
EUR 52 million has been allocated under Horizon 2020 to
research and screening projects.
The EU has also taken regulatory action to protect
people and the environment from the impact of endocrine
disruptors. In particular, legislation in the areas of
pesticides
and
biocides
, chemicals in general
(the REACH regulation)
,
medical devices
and
water
has included specific provisions for dealing with
endocrine disruptors. Furthermore, when it comes to
materials that will come in contact with food
,
cosmetics
,
toys
and
protection of workers
in the workplace, substances with endocrine-disrupting
properties have been the subject of individual
regulatory actions. As a result, many substances with
endocrine-disrupting properties have been banned or
exposure to them has been reduced to a minimum insofar
as this is technically and practically feasible.
Additional information
Contact:
Wioletta Wojewódzka
tel. +32 2 282 22 89![]( "Call: +32 2 282 22 89")
wioletta.wojewodzka@cor.europa.eu