Briefings

Background: The ‘Community Strategy for Endocrine Disruptors (EDs)” adopted in 1999 was set up to be in line with the precautionary principle, which aims at ensuring a higher level of environmental protection through preventative decision-taking in the case of risk. The strategy’s aim was to identify potential hazardous ED substances, to promote research to address the regulatory needs and to update EU legislation with tools to protect people, animals and the environment from the potential harm caused by EDs. Despite these political actions, today, in 2018, EDs are still not regulated properly. 

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Commission and EFSA propose to bury the topic of mixture toxicity of pesticide residues in food

-Industry infiltration in EFSA’s working groups caused 13 years of delay!

-Chosen assessment with (industry promoted) computer modelling unrealistic

-Proposed management decisions by Commission in today’s ScoFCAH will lead to ‘desired’ outcome

-Commercial interests prevail over health of EU citizens

BRIEFING: Commission’s transparency practice at an all-time low

1. Fully censored information in 67 relevant documents on endocrine disruption
2. Commission entirely disrespects Luxembourg court verdict
3. Commission misleads the public on the legal basis for refusal
4. What to expect from new Commission transparency proposal?

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Amending first paragraph points 3.6.5 and 3.8.2 of Annex II from negligible exposure to negligible risk.

Highlights:

• Increases permitted pesticide residues in food by hundreds even thousand times
• Assumes “safe” levels of exposure to EDCs exist, which is scientifically unfound
• Assumes that we have adequate testing to identify all ED-effects, which we don’t
• Drastically changes the effectiveness of the scientific criteria on EDCs to protect human and environmental health from exposure to EDCs.
• It is done undemocratically as it will not be done in co-decision with the Parliament
• It contradicts the provisions of the regulation 1107/2009 which is based on the precautionary principle and aims to provide a high level of protection for humans, animals and the environment
• ED pesticides will be used in open fields and end up as residue in our food, putting humans, animal and the environment at unknown risk

PAN Europe's comments on the Public Consultation of the draft Guidance Document on the implementation of ED criteria 

Pesticide Action Network Europe comments on the European Commission (DG Sante) overview report (2017-6250-MR) on the authorisation process of pesticides in Member States

EU decision makers must act now and vote no to new licence

Berlin/Amsterdam, 4 November 2017 – Today over 200 people formed a human banner at the Tempelhofer field in Berlin to demand that the EU bans glyphosate. On Thursday, 9 November, representatives of the EU’s 28 governments will vote on a proposal by the European Commission to renew the authorisation of the weedkiller for another five years. The message “Vote NO” formed by EU citizens called on Europeans decision-makers to reject the proposal.