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.
Helsinki/Brussels, 16 June 2017 – The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) today recognised bisphenol A (BPA) as a substance of very high concern because of its endocrine disrupting properties for humans. [1]. This is a big step in protecting Europeans’ health and illustrates the need to speed up the pace in identifying and regulating EDCs at EU level.
The decision was taken unanimously in the ECHA Member States Committee, which met this week in Helsinki. [2] France had proposed for BPA, which has already been classified as toxic for reproduction [3], to be placed on the ECHA list of substances of very high concern (SVHC) as an endocrine disruptor for other adverse health effects (on mammary gland development, cognitive functions, and metabolism). [4]
Natacha Cingotti, Health and Chemicals policy officer at the Health and Environment Alliance, said: “Endocrine disrupting chemicals that are omnipresent such as bisphenol A are one of the defining human health challenges of our times. The recognition of BPA as a substance of very high concern because of its endocrine disrupting properties for humans is long overdue and of crucial importance so that measures to reduce people’s exposure to the substance can be introduced in the future.”
The very well documented and structured dossier prepared by France was the basis of intense debates in the Member States Committee. [4] This illustrates why it is crucial to get identification criteria for EDCs right in the discussions currently happening in parallel in the context of the pesticides law. [5]
“Although the adverse effects of BPA have been documented extensively, the difficulties to get it recognised as an endocrine disruptor is yet another reminder of the critical importance to get the proposed EDC criteria right in the EU pesticides committee in the coming weeks,” added Natacha Cingotti.
“We urge France to hold its line in favour of strong criteria, rejecting the current proposal discussed in the context of the pesticides law, and other countries to follow them“.
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