Health and Environment Alliance

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.

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…

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…

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...

Air quality: HEAL comment on today’s EP ENVI committee vote

27th June 2023

Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) comments: “The ENVI committee has taken a major step towards cleaner air for everyone today: health groups are delighted that MEPs followed the science, and people’s needs by supporting an ambitious overhaul of the EU’s clean air standards. More...

The real-life impact of PFAS pollution on communities – examples from Veneto, Antwerp, Dordrecht, Ronneby and Korsør and how to take action

10th May 2023

A new website by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) sheds light on five cases of PFAS pollution affecting communities across Europe and provides resources for concerned citizens and health professionals to take action.

Press note: Three points to look out for in this week’s EP ENVI air quality debate

20th March 2023

Health groups asked members of the EP ENVI committee to step up on clean air for health with science-based air quality standards.

Over 100 organisations call on the European Commission to fully ban PFAS by 2030

14th March 2023

The EU Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published the draft proposal for an EU-wide restriction on the production and uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), starting a much needed process to restrict these 'forever chemicals'

Gesundheitsverbände fordern stärkere Anstrengungen zur Verbesserung der Luftqualität

23rd February 2023

Die Bundesärztekammer und die Gesundheitsverbände Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) und Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit (KLUG) fordern dringende Maβnahmen, um die unterschätzte Krankheitslast durch Luftverschmutzung und insbesondere Feinstaub zu senken. Bei der aktuellen Überarbeitung der Luftqualitätsgrenzwerte auf EU-Ebene sollte sich die Bundesregierung für die vollständige Angleichung der Grenzwerte mit Empfehlungen der Weltgesundheitsorganisation bis 2030 einsetzen, damit Deutschland und die EU Vorreiter beim Gesundheitsschutz werden.

Groundbreaking cross-country media investigation reveals thousands of sites contaminated by PFAS around Europe, adding further urgency to enact EU-wide ban on ‘forever chemicals’

23rd February 2023

An unprecedented cross-country media investigation on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination around Europe - The Forever Pollution Project - reveals that more than 17,000 sites are contaminated by ‘forever chemicals’ around Europe.

Civil-society groups demand for a highly protective EU restriction on PFAS

Civil society groups demand a highly protective EU restriction on PFAS

7th February 2023

An early coal phase-out in Poland can save lives, improve health and strengthen the economy

31st January 2023

As the Polish government is about to launch its update on its 2040 Energy Strategy (PEP), part three of HEAL’s ‘Curing Chronic Coal’ series, published today, shows that the earlier Poland phases out coal power, the greater the health benefits and saved health costs to society will be.

Pesticides and Health Impacts / Pestisitler ve Sağlığa Etkileri

26th January 2023

Pestisitlerin Sağlık Etkileri konusunda Türkiye sağlık sektöründen öneriler

French government announces national action plan on PFAS chemicals ahead of expected publication of EU-wide proposal for restrictions

17th January 2023

French authorities have today released the country’s first action plan specifically dedicated to PFAS, acknowledging the severe consequences that these ‘forever chemicals’ have on people’s health and the environment and the urgent need to reduce production.

Curing Chronic Coal: The health benefits of a 2030 coal phase out in Turkey

22nd December 2022

A new report by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) now highlights that phasing out coal power in Turkey earlier (by 2030) rather than later (by 2050) would produce tremendous…

Environmental health groups welcome introduction of European harmonised hazard classes for endocrine disruptors

19th December 2022

The European Commission has today released its proposal for the creation of dedicated hazard classes for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) under the EU legislation for classification, labelling and packaging of…

An early coal phase-out in the Western Balkan can save lives, improve health and strengthen the economy

8th December 2022

A new report by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), published today, shows that phasing out coal power in the Western Balkan region by 2030 instead of 2050 will bring a…

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