Health and Environment Alliance | Press Releases

Presseinformation: 8. November 2023 – EU Mitgliedstaaten vor wichtiger Entscheidung zu Luftqualität und Gesundheitsschutz

7th November 2023

Die Abstimmung über die Verhandlungsposition der EU-Mitgliedsstaaten ist für diese Woche Mittwoch im Ausschuss der Ständigen Vertreter (COREPER) vorgesehen. Erst wenn die EU-Mitgliedsstaten ihre Verhandlungsposition festgelegt haben, können die sogenannten Trilogverhandlungen zwischen Mitgliedstaaten, Europaparlament und EU-Kommission beginnen und der Zeitplan für die Novellierung gehalten werden, damit die Revision der Richtlinie bis vor den Europawahlen abgeschlossen ist.

Health organisations urge EU member states to adopt their clean air negotiating position

6th November 2023

In view of ongoing deliberations on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), health organisations representing the European health sector, including medical doctors, healthcare professionals, patient organisations and health insurance funds, urge member states to act on the unacceptably high health burden from air pollution and to adopt a negotiating position this week, so that the AAQD trilogues can start, and the revision process can be concluded before the 2024 EU elections

Press note: Good and bad news for health as the ENVI Committee votes on pesticides

24th October 2023

The European Parliament's Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI), voted on the draft proposal for a Sustainable use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) and the non-binding objection to the renewal of the widely used pesticide glyphosate. While the objection for non-renewal of glyphosate failed, the SUR was adopted, but in order to truly protect health more ambition is needed.

Press note: Health groups react to European Commission’s failed attempt to reauthorise glyphosate for 10 years

13th October 2023

Today, 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.

Press note: EU government representatives to discuss glyphosate renewal 12-13 October

10th October 2023

On 12-13 October 2023, EU member states’ representatives convening in the European Commission’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) are expected to discuss and potentially vote on the Commission’s proposal to renew glyphosate’s market license for a period of 10 years.

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

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'

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.