HEAL welcomes the call from 250 scientists urging the European Commission to follow scientific recommendations and include provisions to account for the effects of chemical mixtures to better protect health in the upcoming revision of REACH, the EU’s regulation for chemicals.
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) held a ‘Reality Check Workshop’ on the potential simplification of chemicals legislation. The legislations on the table: Cosmetics Products Regulation and the Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals (CLP). The presented proposals are very alarming: allowing carcinogenic substances more readily in cosmetics and personal care products and deleting the planned CLP update to make labelling in products more legible for consumers and workers.
As the revision of EU chemicals legislation REACH is underway, the Health and Environment Alliance urges the European Commission to uphold its commitments on safer chemicals and ensure that ambitious health protections remain at the heart of the project.
The Health and Environment Alliance welcomes the revision of the EU Toy Safety Regulation – with trilogue negotiations reaching an agreement in April 2025. It importantly expands the ban on carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic-for-reproduction substances to include endocrine disruptors and other hazardous substances.
As the EU Commission and representatives of member states gather on 3 April 2025 to discuss the reform of EU chemicals legislation REACH, HEAL stresses the importance of putting health at the core of the revision. The CARACAL meeting will see the EU Commission present their initial plan for reforming REACH.
Hormone-disrupting chemicals found in personal care products and plastics harm children's health, new research from the EU-funded ATHLETE project finds. The exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and the health effects on over 370 children in France were studied. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals, such as parabens and phthalates, were linked to poorer child overall health. It suggests that they could contribute to the development of multiple chronic diseases related to cardiometabolic, respiratory and neurodevelopmental health.
Several organisations, including HEAL, are calling for European Commissioner Séjourné to ensure the most harmful chemicals will no longer be allowed in children’s toys. The EU is currently revising its Toy Safety Legislation — a key opportunity for policymakers to strengthen protections for children against most harmful chemicals with no further delay.
Press note: The Forever Lobbying Project investigation finds that the clean-up of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in Europe could cost 100 billion euros annually. Health-related costs for PFAS exposure are estimated to reach up to 84 billion euros annually. With these revelations, combined with the mounting scientific evidence on PFAS’ grave health impacts, it is clear that the European Commission must ensure a robust EU-wide PFAS restriction and come up with a plan to address these costs as part of the Clean Industrial Deal.
Press release: HEAL, together with the EDC-Free Europe coalition, is calling on future EU leaders to protect health and the environment from health-harming endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The coalition shared its priorities for the upcoming policy mandate at an event at the European Parliament.
Press note: While the Draghi report is concerned about the economic implications from transitioning away from PFAS in Europe, this approach is fundamentally flawed given the health costs and severe health and environmental consequences associated with these substances.
Press note: EU member states expert committee voted to ban some bisphenols, including bisphenol A (BPA), in food contact materials. This measure is much needed to protect people from these endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), that have also been classified as toxic for reproduction.
Press release: In a move to prioritise public health and environmental sustainability, nineteen leading environmental and health organisations have united to call on EU candidates to commit to a toxic-free Europe.
Press note: New Study – Chemical exposure can lead to higher risk of metabolic syndrome in children
Press note: The Council of the EU adopted their position on the updated rules of the toy safety regulation, which leaves many gaps on children’s protection from harmful chemicals.
Press note: Health groups call on the European Parliament to protect children’s health from harmful chemicals in toys
Press note: Member state’s representatives voted in the REACH Committee to restrict PFHxA – a subfamily of the “forever chemicals” PFAS - that is widely used in for example clothing and food contact materials.
The Health and Environment Alliance welcomes a new scientific study published in Lancet Planetary Health by researchers at Aberdeen and Örebro Universities that indicates PFAS affect people as early as in the fetal stage of development.
The Health and Environment Alliance welcomes the compromises reached throughout the discussions. The agreed legislative changes have the potential to make CLP a more protective and efficient piece of legislation.
Civil society organisations welcome the publication of the new investigation report on PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and its additives by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The findings clearly indicate harm to health and environment from some substances added to PVC and the release of its microparticles.
The European Commission failed to get enough support for its proposal to reauthorise the use of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used pesticide which is associated with risks of cancer and other health disorders, for another ten years. It is the second time in two months that EU governments fail to reach the required majority to adopt the Commission’s plans. HEAL urges the European Commission to withdraw its proposal for a renewal based on the amount of scientific evidence warranting serious health impacts.
