Health and Environment Alliance | News and Media

Press note: European Parliament votes to protect health with the reform of the CLP legislation

4th October 2023

A majority of members of the European Parliament supported the report proposed by the ENVI committee on the revision of the legislation on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances (CLP). The reform of CLP is crucial to improve the protection of workers and citizens through more effective hazard identification, labelling and packaging of chemicals in industrial and commercial use.

Press release – Victory for health: European General Court upholds ban for chlorpyrifos-methyl

4th October 2023

Today the General Court of the European Court of Justice ruled that the 2019 EU-wide ban of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos-methyl remains in force. This follows a legal case against the European Commission by Ascenza Agro and Industries Afrasa, manufacturers of the pesticide, which challenged the quality and the legality of the scientific assessment that led to the ban.

373 civil society groups urge leaders to take ambitious action to phase out world’s most dangerous pesticides

25th September 2023

373 civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations from 74 countries urged leaders at a historic global conference to act with urgency to phase out Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs), a particular group of pesticides that cause the most severe harm to human health and the environment and are considered too dangerous for use.

Press note: Air quality: HEAL comment on today’s EP plenary vote

13th September 2023

Today, the European Parliament plenary voted on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) (2022/0347(COD)). The report by rapporteur Javi Lopez was voted on with 363 in favour, 226 against, and 46 abstentions.

Letter: Health groups urge EU member states to support the non-renewal of glyphosate’s market license

12th September 2023

HEAL, ISDE Italy and the Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds call on European governments to rely on independent scientific evidence and support a full ban of glyphosate’s market license, ahead of a meeting between member states’ representatives in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) taking place on 15 September.

Press note: European Parliament ENVI committee supports a protective revision of CLP

12th September 2023

Yesterday evening members of the European Parliament's ENVI committee supported the draft report on the revision of the legislation on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances (CLP). The reform of…

Letter to EU Health Commissioner: Stop the reapproval of glyphosate due to major deficiencies in carcinogenicity assessment

11th September 2023

Press note: Will members of the European Parliament vote for better health on 13 September?

8th September 2023

Next Wednesday, 13 September 2023, the European Parliament will vote on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) (2022/0347(COD)), a key law for the protection of people’s…

Health groups’ letter to members of the European Parliament: support the Lopez report

7th September 2023

Today, the health groups Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA), European Respiratory Society (ERS), International Society of Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) Europe, Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME), European Public Health Alliance (EPHA) and Mutualités Libres/Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen sent a letter to all members of the European Parliament.

Aufruf des Gesundheitssektors an Bundeskanzler Scholz anlässlich des Internationalen Tags der Sauberen Luft

7th September 2023

Die Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit e.V. (KLUG) und die Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) wenden sich deshalb am Internationalen Tag der Sauberen Luft in einem offenen Brief an Herrn Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz und fordern ihn auf, sich stärker für bessere Luftqualität einzusetzen.

Letter to Ursula von der Leyen on the nomination of Wopke Hoekstra as Climate Commissioner

5th September 2023

The Green 10, of which HEAL is part of, has written a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to express their concern about the nomination of the Dutch Designate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra as Climate Commissioner:

Webinar series recordings: The healthy and clean city of tomorrow

11th August 2023

In June 2023, HEAL organised a series of three webinars to put a spotlight on three themes for a healthy and clean city: physical activity, active mobility and reduced car…

Webinar: Building Health Bridges for Clean Air

4th August 2023

The webinar series is open to health sector representatives, who want to build their knowledge on the relevant science, and anyone interested and working on the topics of healthy transport and healthy cities.

HEAL urges ministers to step up on action against pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss

13th July 2023

During the 7th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe, the Budapest Declaration to accelerate action for healthier people, a thriving planet and a sustainable future was adopted by health and environment ministers of countries of the WHO European region.

Promoting health and well-being in urban environments

12th July 2023

A new EU funded research project, the Urban Burden of Disease Estimation for Policy Making (UBDPolicy), to which HEAL is a partner, aims to respond to this need by providing decision-makers with health impact assessments and socioeconomic costs and benefits analyses, for application in urban planning and design policies, including transport and environmental measures.

Nature restoration law must be adopted, to protect nature and to boost health

11th July 2023

Ahead of a key European Parliament vote on the nature restoration law, HEAL urges members of the European Parliament to support this key proposal for people’s health and well-being.

Press note: Health groups concerned about EFSA statement suggesting absence of health concerns in the renewal assessment of probable carcinogen glyphosate

6th July 2023

A statement published today by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide on the planet, does not pose unacceptable risks for human health, despite independent scientific evidence to the contrary. More...

CLP Regulation revision – Classification of substances with more than one constituent – perspective of environmental & health NGOs

30th June 2023

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Chemsec, HEAL and ChemTrust clarify the controversy around substances with more than one constituent (MOCS), and essential oils specifically, with regards to the European Union CLP regulation revision in this joint briefing and explainer.

Advocating for a swift coal phase out in Turkey for health

30th June 2023

Following new evidence of the health economic benefits of a phase out of coal power generation, HEAL has contacted decision-makers in Turkey, to underline that a swift phase out is…

Science review: The health impacts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

30th June 2023

A new science review commissioned by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) shows the significant impact of the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on health.