Health and Environment Alliance | Press Releases: Toxic Chemicals

Health groups welcome Europe’s plan to reduce pesticide dependency but demand stronger protection measures

22nd June 2022

Responding to the European Commission's delayed proposal for a Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR), HEAL and several health groups caution that the measures set by the new plan will not achieve a meaningful reduction of Europe's dependency on synthetic pesticides.

Scientific evidence of glyphosate link to cancer dismissed in ongoing EU assessment, new report reveals

8th June 2022

A HEAL report published today shows that scientific evidence that glyphosate is carcinogenic has so far been dismissed in the EU scientific assessment that will form the basis for the re-approval discussion of its EU market license.

Health and environmental groups raise alarms over EU Chemicals Agency’s failure to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen for human health

30th May 2022

Health and environmental organisations have expressed severe concerns after the European Chemicals Agency’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) concluded that the widely-used pesticide-active substance glyphosate does not meet the criteria to be labeled as a carcinogenic or genotoxic agent.

Delay to EU Pesticide Reduction Exposes Citizens to Increased Health Risks

23rd March 2022

Responding to the European Commission’s deferral [1] of today’s College discussion on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR) proposal contrary to what was originally announced [2], the…

Belgium set to launch its first-ever national action plan to increase health and environment protection from endocrine disrupting chemicals

28th February 2022

Health groups have welcomed Belgium’s first-ever draft national action plan on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) as an important step towards better identification of and health protection against the risks associated to exposure to such harmful substances.

Joint statement: The EU Commission must do better to transition away from synthetic pesticides

28th February 2022

70+ organisations have published ten demands to be urgently taken on board by the EU Commission for the revision of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive.

European Parliament recognises the European Green Deal as a significant contributing factor to cancer prevention in Europe

17th February 2022

The European Parliament has adopted its non-legislative report responding to the publication of the EU Commission 2021 communication on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, recognising the EU Green Deal is a key tool to limit people’s exposure to pollution and prevent cancer.

Letter: Health and environment groups urge EU Commissioners to support French proposal for EU restriction on harmful substances in single-use diapers

26th January 2022

In a letter published today, thirty-four civil society groups urge the European Commission to support a proposal put forward by French authorities to restrict a group of extremely hazardous substances from single-use babies’ diapers.

How ATHLETE research on the Human Exposome offers tools for lifelong disease prevention and policy action: New overview article in Journal of Environmental Epidemiology

25th January 2022

A new overview paper in the Journal of Environmental Epidemiology connects the dots on how the ATHLETE project's research on the Human Exposome offers advanced tools for lifelong disease prevention and policy action.

Chemicals in tattoo inks & permanent make-up: EU-wide restriction covering over 4,000 substances enters into force today

4th January 2022

The legislative piece covers some 4,000 substances and aims to ensure citizens across the EU are equally protected from hazardous chemicals that may cause allergies and serious health impacts like cancer.

Experts highly concerned as EU body rejects proposal to exclude hazardous chemicals in diapers

9th December 2021

Health and environmental groups have reacted with severe concern after the European Chemicals Agency's scientific committees today rejected an attempt to eliminate hazardous chemicals from single-use babies' diapers.

Glyphosate: EU toxicity assessment report still fails to address health risks of world’s most-used pesticide

25th November 2021

A review of the EU assessment report from the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) on the toxicity of the popular pesticide glyphosate confirms that the evaluation is still mostly based on studies and arguments provided by the chemical industry.

Civil society groups call on Belgian federal government’s involvement to guarantee action to clean up and remediate PFAS pollution around Antwerp, monitor consequences, and guarantee accountability

10th November 2021

PFAS pollution is a reality for communities near Antwerp and Zwijndrecht. HEAL and Grondrecht are asking the Belgian government to step in to guarantee action to clean up and remediate pollution, monitor consequences and guarantee accountability.

Glyphosate: Health and cancer groups ask France to publicly clarify contradictory position regarding the health effects of the world’s top-selling herbicide

4th November 2021

Is France making a dangerous U-turn on its position on glyphosate? In an open letter published today, HEAL, the Association of European Cancer Leagues and La Ligue contre le Cancer urge the French government to publicly clarify its position regarding the health risks posed by the substance.

Glyphosate: 41 health and environment groups urge EU Commission to put an end to use of unreliable industry studies

13th October 2021

41 civil society organisations, including several of the organisers of the successful European Citizens’ Initiative #StopGlyphosate, urge EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides to guarantee that the ongoing assessment of glyphosate is based on updated independent scientific evidence and remains free from vested interests.

Revealed: EU Glyphosate assessment was based on flawed science

3rd July 2021

A new scientific analysis concludes that the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) claim that glyphosate is not genotoxic cannot be justified on the basis of manufacturers’ studies. Of the 53 industry-funded studies used for the EU’s current authorization of glyphosate, 34 were identified as "not reliable", 17 as "partly reliable" and only 2 studies as "reliable" from a methodological point of view.

Letter: Gouvernance et moyens de la Stratégie Nationale sur les Perturbateurs Endocriniens (SNPE)

25th June 2021

À l’occasion de la réunion du Groupe Santé Environnement (GSE) le 30 juin 2021, un collectif d’associations citoyennes, professionnelles et d’usagers, de syndicats et de collectifs, demande aux Ministres des…

Ominous first step in EU renewal process of glyphosate: 4 member states suggest no risk for human health – HEAL comment

15th June 2021

Today four EU member states (France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden) released a statement proposing that glyphosate does not pose risks for human health. HEAL is concerned at such a conclusion, which is in contradiction to the scientific evidence of the association between exposure to the popular pesticide and the development of cancer.

How PFAS chemicals affect women, pregnancy and human development: Health actors call for urgent action to phase them out

25th May 2021

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) have published a fact sheet and infographic to call for immediate action against “forever chemicals”, to protect reproductive health, fertility and human development.

‘Forever chemicals’ widespread in disposable food packaging from popular fast-food chains across Europe, new study shows

20th May 2021

The use of persistent and health-harming PFAS chemicals in disposable food packaging and tableware is a widespread practice across Europe, as shown in a study by Czech NGO Arnika, HEAL, CHEM Trust and six other non-profit organisations in Europe.

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