Opinion by HEAL Poland Director Weronika Michalak: as the urgency to act on the triple crisis - climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss - becomes increasingly clear, I hope that the Polish Presidency of the European Union, which began on 1st January this year, will set the course for decisive EU climate and environmental policies aimed at protecting people's health across Europe.
HEAL has sent a letter to EU member states Permanent Representatives regarding the ongoing negotiations between the Council, Parliament and Commission on the revision of the EU Toy Safety Regulation.
This revision follows findings that the current EU law does not adequately protect children from harmful chemicals in toys. Children are particularly vulnerable to these chemicals as their bodies are still developing – their brain, immune and hormonal systems are very fragile and can be easily affected even by low-level exposure to harmful chemicals.
To protect children and their families from these harmful substances, the revised Toy Safety Regulation must include:
- A ban on PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals’
- A ban on the bisphenols group
- A broadening of the chemicals restriction mechanism to include all the most harmful chemicals, including five hazard classes: chemicals that persist, bioaccumulate, are mobile and toxic, as well as endocrine disruptors for the environment
- The inclusion of the precautionary principle in the operational part of the law
Read the full letter here
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