Health and Environment Alliance | News and Media

More than 12,200 chemicals can be used in materials and articles coming in contact with food worldwide, according to new scientific database

30th November 2020

The first publicly available database providing an overview of the chemicals that can be used in the processing of food contact materials and articles was released today, which suggests that more than 12,200 chemicals can be used in materials and articles coming in contact with food worldwide.

HEAL joins international call for UN Food and Agriculture Organization to abandon partnership with trade industry

23rd November 2020

In response to stated plans by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to strengthen ties with a trade association whose members continue to produce highly hazardous pesticides harmful to human health and the environment, HEAL and over three hundred other organizations in over 60 countries have sent a letter to Director-General Qu Dongyu opposing the alliance.

Survey shows almost 50% of Belgians are unaware of health-harming endocrine disrupting chemicals in daily lives

19th November 2020

Results from a new survey published by the Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds (Mutualités Libres / Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen) reveal nearly half of Belgian citizens have little knowledge of what endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are and how they can impact our health.

An ambitious implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans to prevent ill-health and move towards zero pollution

9th November 2020

As leaders are gathering in Sofia this week for the next meeting in the Berlin process, HEAL urges them ambitiously implement the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans to prevent ill-health and move towards zero pollution.

Letter: Prohibiting the export of banned pesticides and the import of food produced with these chemicals

5th November 2020

Green 10 letter on guaranteeing a Green Recovery across Europe in Next Generation EU by excluding fossil fuels from the RRF

28th October 2020

The 10 largest environmental NGOs have written a letter on the need to exclude fossil fuels from the scope of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), the largest envelope in Next…

Zero pollution: Beat pollution – prevent disease

27th October 2020

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is the leading European not-for-profit organisation addressing how the natural and built environment affects health in the European Union. HEAL welcomes the priority that…

Turning the plastic tide: how upgraded chemicals regulations are piece and parcel of addressing the plastics challenge

21st October 2020

Taking on the plastics challenge in a way that puts health and the environment first to deliver on Europe’s Zero Pollution ambition requires upgrading European regulations on chemicals and articles in which they are used, encompassing the entire lifecycle of plastics.

Ditch fossil fuelled transport to guarantee healthy air, study confirms

21st October 2020

What kind of city do we want to live in? Normally we don’t think much about that in our daily lives, but with the COVID pandemic we’ve also had to re-think the ways we move about in our cities.

EU chemicals strategy: speedy implementation steps key to truly protect people’s health

14th October 2020

Environmental health advocates have welcomed today’s release of the European Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability as a major step forward in the delivery of Europe’s Zero Pollution Objective. They however insisted…

Letter: Time to ensure the EU is on the path to a toxic-free environment

12th October 2020

Letter to Deputy Mayor of Sofia on healthier air for a healthier environment

12th October 2020

Save the date: HEAL and Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds symposium on endocrine disruptors

7th October 2020

Register today to take part in the online symposium ‘Endocrine Disruptors: reduce the impact on our health’, organised by the Belgian Mutualités Libres on 19 November 2020.

Further European Commission frictions revealed over the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability: HEAL concerns for health protection remain

1st October 2020

As an important European Commission meeting was due to take place on 1st October to iron out some of the last contentious aspects of the strategy under development, several media outlets across Europe today reported further frictions.

Letter: Millions of citizens in the EU call for full alignment of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy with the European Green Deal

30th September 2020

Over 250 organisations and coalitions representing millions of citizens have urged EU leaders to make sure the CAP negotiations shape a policy that reflects the EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy.

Letter: Call to continue progress on the SCIP database, for consumers and the planet

29th September 2020

Say NO to a toxic Europe – sign the petition to demand a EU chemicals strategy that protects health and the environment

28th September 2020

Say NO to a toxic Europe - sign the petition (available in multiple languages) to demand a EU chemicals strategy that protects health and the environment.

Medical advice to EU leaders: prevention comes before cure

28th September 2020

The EU’s recovery package is the not-to-be-missed opportunity to lead us to a healthier future and should not extend a lifeline to the pollution that is making us sick, writes HEAL President Peter van den Hazel in EURACTIV.

Joint letter to Vice-President Šefčovič on reform of better regulation rules

22nd September 2020

Green 10, together with the European Trade Union Confederation, sent a letter to Vice-President Šefčovič ahead of the publication of the Communication reforming the European Commission's better regulation rules. Full…

Proposal for 55% GHG reduction target for 2030: near miss is still a miss

16th September 2020

In her first State of the Union speech, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen today proposed upping the EU’s 2030 target for GHG emission reductions from the current -40%…