EU proceeds to issue a ban on endocrine disruptors

According to a reporter in Brussels, the European Commission (EC) announced on July 4 that EU member states agreed in defining the concept of endocrine disorder, a decisive step. to be able to issue a ban on chemicals harmful to human health and the environment.

European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis said that once applied, the EU ban will ensure all active ingredients used in the identified pesticides can cause endocrine disorders in humans and animals will be reviewed and proceeded to withdraw from the market.

According to the EC, defined standards allow clarification of the agents directly or indirectly causing endocrine disorders, and indicate that the determination of the active ingredients must be performed on the basis of taking into account all both scientific evidence, including animal studies, laboratory or computer simulations and using evidence-based approaches.

These criteria are argued by protesters to focus only on the substances contained in the pesticides.(Illustration).

The lack of definition clearly hindered the promulgation of a uniform regulation of substances capable of affecting the endocrine system and the cause of dysfunction and diseases such as obesity, infertility, birth defects on the fetus or developmental delays in both mental and physical strength.

The unification of the criteria identified above is the result of a long campaign, adopted three years after its initiation, and one year after the date of the proposed EC proposal and immediately pointed out. quoted by environmentalists and some member countries like France.

These criteria are argued by protesters to focus only on the substances contained in the pesticides . In addition to pesticides, agents that can cause endocrine disorders are also found in many commonly used foods, cosmetics or children's toys.

The text was adopted at a technical committee comprising representatives of member states and EC supervision.

The Council of Europe comprising 28 member states and the European Parliament will have 3 months to consider before ratifying this new regulation.

The European Agency for Food Safety and the European Chemicals Agency will prepare a guide to apply the above criteria.