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EDC-Free Europe coalition urges European Commission to protect people and environment from hormone disruptors

The EDC-Free Europe coalition, representing more than 70 health and environment organisations across Europe, is calling on the EU Commission to finally release a long overdue strategy on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs).

EDCs, also known as hormone disruptors, are artificial chemicals that interfere with the natural hormones in our bodies. In 2017, the European Commission committed to bring out a new integrated strategy on EDCs, after previous attempts to update the existing EU Community Strategy on EDCs from 1999 had been derailed by intense industry lobbying [1].

Génon K. Jensen, Executive Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and EDC-Free Europe spokesperson, said:

“Every day, we are all exposed to a cocktail of chemicals that affect our hormone systems. But the EU’s current approach to identify and regulate hormone disruptors is full of loopholes and leaves every European at risk of preventable health impacts. We need the European Commission to finally release a new strategy on EDCs that will not only comply with citizens’ demands for better health protection but also boost innovation towards safer alternatives and bring down health costs through disease prevention.”

Our eight demands for a European strategy on EDCs can be found online here (also available in Spanish, French, Dutch and German.

Notes:

[1] https://corporateeurope.org/sites/d…

[2] The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) provides the secretariat for the EDC-Free Europe campaign. EDC-Free Europe is a coalition of public interest groups representing more than 70 environmental, health, women’s and consumer groups across Europe who share a concern about hormone disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their impact on our health and wildlife.

About HEAL:

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is a leading European not-for-profit organisation addressing how the environment affects health in the European Union (EU). With the support of more than 70 member organisations, HEAL brings independent expertise and evidence from the health community to different decision-making processes. Our broad alliance represents health professionals, not-for-profit health insurers, doctors, nurses, cancer and asthma groups, citizens, women’s groups, youth groups, environmental NGOs, scientists and public health research institutes. Members include international and Europe-wide organisations as well as national and local groups. Website: www.env-health.org. Follow HEAL on Facebook and Twitter @HealthandEnv

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