Health and Environment Alliance | Press Releases: Toxic Chemicals

European Parliament puts health and the environment first and calls on Commission to get rid of endocrine disrupting chemicals in our daily lives

18th April 2019

In the final plenary session of the European Parliament before the EU elections, MEPs have adopted a Resolution on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and are calling on the Commission to swiftly take all necessary action to ensure human health and the environment are protected against these harmful chemicals .

French farmer takes on Monsanto and wins – victory for all victims of pesticides

11th April 2019

The Court of Appeal in Lyon has ruled to hold Monsanto legally accountable for severely harming the health of Paul François, a grain farmer from France’s Charente region. Health actors are welcoming this historic win, a legal precedent in France, as a victory for all victims of pesticides.

New study calls for urgent evaluation of links between chlorpyrifos and autism development

3rd April 2019

The existing scientific evidence of the links between the brain-harming pesticide chlorpyrifos and the development of autism among children should urgently be reviewed, according to a new study published today in Environmental Health Perspectives.

Health risks associated with combined exposures to endocrine disruptors are systematically underestimated, shows EU research project

26th March 2019

Findings from the European research project EDC-MixRisk released today highlight that the health risks associated with the combined exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are systematically underestimated under current assessment methods in the European Union.

EU Parliament misses the mark on putting end to toxic chemicals in children’s toys made from recycled plastics

14th March 2019

The European Parliament’s environment committee today agreed to new EU rules on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which will keep millions exposed to toxic chemicals in toys and other products made of recycled plastics.

New scientific study confirms health concerns about glyphosate-based herbicides

12th March 2019

The exposure to glyphosate-based herbicides has been linked to endocrine and developmental effects by a new scientific pilot study.

UNSAFE: New EU Rules Allow Toxic Chemicals in Children’s Toys and Other Products Made of Recycled Plastics

21st February 2019

The European Parliament and Council decision on the reform of the Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Regulation announced this week, hailed as protective for health, will keep children exposed to hazardous flame-retardant chemicals associated with thyroid disruption and neurological deficits. HEAL, Arnika and IPEN react.

EU Parliament chooses to break business secrecy in key vote on General Food Law revision

11th December 2018

In a key vote on amendments to the General Food Law, Members of European Parliament made significant steps in making sure data used in decisions on food safety is made publicly available.

General Food Law revision: key vote on data transparency in the European Parliament this Tuesday

10th December 2018

On 11 December 2018, the European Parliament has the opportunity to make or break business secrecy in decisions on food safety in a vote on amendments to the General Food…

Toxic Soup: Dioxins in Plastic Toys

23rd November 2018

A new study, "Toxic Soup: Dioxins in Plastic Toys", shows alarming levels of very toxic brominated dioxins in eight toys and one hair clip made of recycled plastic stemming from electronic waste.

New Communication on endocrine disruptors lacks concrete measures to reduce harmful exposures

7th November 2018

In a move that is long overdue, the EU Commission published today the EU Communication on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). However it lacks specific measures and timelines on how people and the environment can be better protected from these harmful chemicals.

Europeans join forces calling for a higher level of protection from pesticides

31st October 2018

HEAL has joined its member PAN Europe and over 100 NGOs, institutions, and scientists to demand a full reform of the current risk assessment of pesticides to ensure a higher protection from toxic chemicals in Europe.

Toxic chemicals found in carpets sold by major European manufacturers

30th October 2018

New research has found toxic chemicals in carpets produced and sold by some of the largest carpet manufacturers on the European market. These chemicals include suspected carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and…

European Study Exposing Toxic E-Waste Chemicals in Children’s Products Spurs Calls for Policy to End Recycling Exemptions for Hazardous Waste

16th October 2018

Environmental health researchers released alarming evidence today that toxic brominated flame retardants, hazardous chemicals from electronic waste that are known to disrupt thyroid function and cause neurological and attention deficits in children, are contaminating recycled plastics in consumer products across Europe.

Will business secrecy keep defeating the public’s right to know on food safety?

25th September 2018

As discussions about a European Commission proposal on the transparency of EU food safety data are underway in both the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, organisers of the #StopGlyphosate European Citizens’ Initiative warned that to live up to its promising objectives, the proposal must be amended.

Health, environment and civil society groups join Brussels region in legal challenge over glyphosate renewal

26th July 2018

26 July 2018 Brussels – The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe, Nature et Progrès Belgique, WeMove.EU and SumofUs today officially applied before the Court of…

Endocrine disruptors – Put exposure reduction at the centre of EU action now, urge health groups

17th July 2018

As the European Commission’s consultation on a roadmap for a framework on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) comes to a close, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) urges the European Commission…

HEAL’s vision for Europe leading the way towards a non-toxic environment

7th June 2018

The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) today released its vision for Europe leading the transition towards a non-toxic environment and called on the European Commission to finally draw its long…

EDC-Free Europe coalition urges European Commission to protect people and environment from hormone disruptors

15th May 2018

The EDC-Free Europe coalition, representing more than 70 health and environment organisations across Europe, is calling on the EU Commission to finally release a long overdue strategy on endocrine disrupting…

HEAL’s reaction to European Commission’s legislative initiative on transparency in the risk assessment in the food chain: “Too little, too late and not to the point”

13th April 2018

Brussels, 13 April 2018 - In response to the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) “Stop Glyphosate” initiated by a broad coalition of civil society groups including HEAL and signed by more than one million citizens, the European Commission published a legislative proposal aiming at increased transparency, accountability and sustainability of the risk assessment process in the food chain transparency and risk assessment process under the General Food Law on 11 April 2018.