Joint letter calling for an ECHA mandate to restrict aromatic brominated flame retardants

HEAL, together with Arnika, the Cancer Prevention and Education Society, CHEM Trust, ChemSec, ClientEarth, EEB, Fidra, and Zero Waste Europe has sent a letter to the European Commission to urge them to mandate the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) with preparing a restriction proposal for aromatic brominated flame retardants (ABFRs). ABFRs have been found in the bodies of Europeans and in our environment, and many members of this group of chemicals are known for their persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic properties.

ABFRs are a group of chemicals that are defined by their structure (they contain an aromatic ring to which bromine is covalently bound) and their use as flame retardants (meaning that they are meant to prevent or slow the growth of fire). These chemicals are added to plastics and end up mainly in electronic devices (e.g. in circuit boards), the automotive sector (e.g. in cables), building materials and textiles. ABFRs are released into the environment when these products and materials are disposed of, usually shredded in landfills, as the flame retardants make the recycling of the plastic materials difficult.

The letter follows up on the results of a recent Investigation Report on ABFRs prepared by ECHA, the 2023 Regulatory Strategy for Flame Retardants, the commitments under the Chemical Strategy for Sustainability and the fact that flame retardants have been earmarked for a group restriction in the Restrictions Roadmap for years, due to their widespread detection in humans and the environment and their problematic properties. As stated in the letter to the European Commission: “Regulatory action to better protect people and wildlife from the impacts from flame retardants is long overdue and a broad restriction with short transition times is urgently needed.”

Read the full letter here