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Chemicals and Pesticides

The drawbacks of the current system to identify, examine and regulate chemicals and pesticides throughout the European Union have been acknowledged by the European Commission as being:

- 100.106 existing substances that can be used without testing
- the burden of proof as to the safety of these chemicals lies with public authorities
- there is no efficient instrument to ensure safe use of the most problematic substances
- there is a lack of incentives for innovation, in particular of less hazardous substitutes

These chemicals and pesticides include, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), plant protection products, biocides, endocrine disrupting chemicals and dioxins some of which are in daily use in our homes, found in our water and even in the food we eat, and have had no research carried out as to their effects on human health.

ACTION

- Ensure that the EU’s REACH programme, is implemented with the principles of precaution at its heart, i.e. ‘no data, no market’ and allows all citizens to have the full right to know which chemicals are present in which products, .
- Make certain that all chemicals on the market must have their safety assessed by independent experts and be approved and demonstrated to be safe beyond reasonable doubt.
- Promote a phase-out of persistent or bio-accumulative chemicals and a requirement to substitute less safe chemicals with safer alternatives and the phasing out of PVC.


Last article modified in this page or in one of the sub-section March 31 2008.
4/02/2007

**Updated** The NGO mobilisation for a strong REACH

*UPDATED with the vote of the European Parliament* On 13 December 2006, a plenary vote by Members of the European Parliament led to the adoption of the new EU chemicals legislation REACH. However, according to health, environment, consumer and women’s advocacy groups, there are major loopholes in REACH which will still allow many chemicals that can cause serious health problems, to continue being used in manufacturing and consumer goods.
The new system is called REACH (Registration, (...)
30/01/2007

"Stay healthy, Stop mercury" Campaign Launched

Health Care Without Harm and the Health and Environment Alliance have launched a European anti-mercury campaign with a series of fact sheets for citizens and health professionals.
The ultimate objective of the "Stay Healthy Stop Mercury" campaign is to phase out mercury from health care and a total ban in international trade.
In order to do so, the campaign proposes, as a first step to raise awareness of the immediate health threats of mercury, and to propose alternatives and solutions for (...)
30/08/2006

Commission bans 22 hair dye substances to increase consumer safety

Amid concerns of potential bladder cancer risks, the European Commission has banned 22 hair dye substances. The ban is based upon the recommendations of the Scientific Committee of Consumer Products (SCCP) advising the Commission following the conclusions of a scientific study on the long term use of certain hair dyes.
In a public consultation, the Commission had asked producers to provide safety files for their substances. These files, based on scientific expertise, have to prove that a (...)
4/04/2006

The EU to ban mercury in fever thermometers

The European Commission has announced that it plans to ban mercury in fever thermoter, as part of the EU mercury strategy adopted by the European Commission in 2005.
Environmental and health NGOs, in particular EPHA Environment Network (EEN) have welcomed the Commission’s proposal for the restriction of the marketing and use of mercury in certain measuring and control devices.
Besides, on Tuesday 14 March 2006, the European Parliament voted Mario Matsakis (ALDE CY)report which conveys (...)
22/08/2005

Nonylphenols to be banned in Germany

The German cabinet has decided to introduce a ban on the industrial use of nonylphenols and hexavalent chromium from mid-2004, subject to approval by the Bundesrat, or upper house of parliament.
The ban would also apply to hexavalent chromium, a component of cement which is a skin irritant.
Click here to read the press release (in German)
Nonylphenols
Nonylphenol is part of a family of chemical compounds called alkylphenols. Nonlylphenol is usually reacted to produce nonylphenol (...)
1/08/2005

More than 2 million employees are exposed to carcinogenic chemicals in France

2 370 000 employees - ie 13.5% of the spectrum - are exposed regularly to one or more carcinogenic products, says a French study published in July 2005.
The study called SUMER 2003, was driven by the French Ministry of Employment in the framework of the Plan "Health at Work". Its goal was to measure wage-earners exposure to carcinogenic chemicals.
The one-year study was conducted by 1,800 ocupational health professionals. They had to identify the level of exposure to chemical products for (...)
24/05/2005

Ban on ’dirty dozen’ chemicals may be extended

A conference to review the UN-backed Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) was held in Punta del Este, Urugay, 2-6 May 2005.
POPs are some of the most dangerous all man-made products or wastes, which cause deaths, diseases and birth defects. They build up in fatty tissues and traces can be found in every person. The convention, which entered into force last year, therefore bans a ’dirty dozen’ of these highly hazardous substances. Of the 151 signatories to the (...)
9/03/2005

EU scientists find no link between parabens and breast cancer

Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in food products, medicines and cosmetics such as lipsticks and deodorants.
The Cosmetic Directive of 1976 sets the maximum concentration for their use in cosmetic products.
Since then, a number of scientific publications have suggested a link between breast cancer and the use of paraben-containing deodorants and antiperspirants.
DG SANCO requested an opinion from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) . The (...)
27/10/2004

Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention to be based in Rome and Geneva

The First Conference of the Parties to the Rotterdam Convention, meeting in Geneva on 20-24 September 2004, has awarded the Convention’s Permanent Secretariat jointly to Geneva and Rome.
The objectives of the Rotterdam Convention are:
to promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm; and
to contribute to the environmentally sound use of (...)
30/06/2004

Toxic Fire Retardants Discovered in Dust Taken From Computers in Offices & Schools

In the first nationwide analysis of brominated fire retardants in dust samples swiped from computers, the Computer Take-Back Campaign (CTBC) and Clean Production Action (CPA) found toxic chemicals known to be reproductive and neurological hazards in animal lab tests. The highest levels found were a form of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) called deca-BDE one of the most widely used fire retardant chemicals in the electronics industry.
PBDEs are increasingly being found in human (...)

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