European agriculture is pesticide-intensive, relying on the use of numerous hazardous pesticides that can damage both human health and the environment. Pesticides in our food, water, and air can increase the risk of health problems such as cancer and infertility, harm children’s healthy development and disrupt our hormonal systems.
HEAL works with health groups, civil society organisations, and decision-makers to ensure the use of harmful pesticides becomes a thing of the past.
Worrying news for health: MEPs reject watered down and hollowed out pesticides law
23rd November 2023
Members of the European Parliament voted against the draft text for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), following a substantial hollowing out of the draft law. This is worrying news for health.
Chlorpyrifos-methyl: unpacking the history behind the EU ban and court case
20th November 2023
On 4 October 2023, the European Court of Justice ruled that the 2019 EU-wide ban of the health-harming pesticide chlorpyrifos-methyl remains in force. This blog revisits the long road that led to the decision to ban the substance from the European market in 2019, delves into the related health stakes, and explores the legal challenge that followed the ban.
Letter to Members of the European Parliament: Health call for swift pesticide reduction to prevent disease and save on healthcare costs
16th November 2023
In view of the upcoming plenary vote on the Regulation on the Sustainable use of Pesticide Regulation (SUR) on 22 November, health organisations call on MEPs to swiftly advance the SUR negotiations and strengthen the protection of people in Europe against hazardous pesticides, as a key law to prevent disease.
Open letter to the EU Commission President: Stop the re-approval of glyphosate in light of new scientific evidence on cancer risk
15th November 2023
106 European civil society organisations call on EU Commission President von der Leyen to withdraw the proposal to renew glyphosate's approval, in light of new compelling evidence that the herbicide causes leukaemia in young rats.
Joint letter: Urgent call to protect European citizens by opposing glyphosate renewal in light of leukaemia risk
2nd November 2023
HEAL and several other organisations are calling on Permanent Representatives of the European Union to protect European citizens by opposing the Commission's proposal for a 10-year renewal of glyphosate's approval.
Celebrating 20 years of HEAL
26th October 2023
Twenty years ago, I realised that environmental pollution is linked to ill health and serious acute and chronic diseases, like cancer, asthma and respiratory diseases. This is when I launched into my environmental health journey and founded HEAL. It became clear to me that our ways of living and the environmental pollution resulting from that impacted our health. I wanted to know more about the impacts and the extent, how much of it was preventable, and what role and power policy-making could have in it....
Q&A on animal testing and chemical safety assessments
27th February 2023
We are exposed to a wide mix of potentially harmful chemicals on a daily basis. To assess whether and how exposure to chemical substances can impact our health and the environment, European and national regulatory authorities rely on the results from several testing methods, including animal testing, when performing their safety assessment. In this Q&A, HEAL answers several key questions about the use of animal testing in the European Union.
Pesticides and Health Impacts / Pestisitler ve Sağlığa Etkileri
26th January 2023
Pestisitlerin Sağlık Etkileri konusunda Türkiye sağlık sektöründen öneriler
Briefing: HEAL’s response to the public consultations on the EU’s initial assessment of glyphosate
3rd February 2022
This briefing outlines HEAL's response to two public consultations on the EU's initial assessment of glyphosate, and lists our key concerns about the EU assessment report on the toxicity of the pesticide.
Q&A on animal testing and chemical safety assessments
27th February 2023
We are exposed to a wide mix of potentially harmful chemicals on a daily basis. To assess whether and how exposure to chemical substances can impact our health and the environment, European and national regulatory authorities rely on the results from several testing methods, including animal testing, when performing their safety assessment. In this Q&A, HEAL answers several key questions about the use of animal testing in the European Union.
EU should ban brain-harming chlorpyrifos to protect health
1st August 2018
Today, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) together with Générations Futures, Pesticide Action Network Europe…
Infographic: The impact of harmful pesticides on people’s health and the environment
30th March 2023
To answer some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the impact of harmful chemicals on people’s health and the environment, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) has launched a new easy-to-use infographic and supporting social media assets.
HEAL and European Cancer Leagues relaunch infographic illustrating how Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
25th May 2022
To mark the start of the European Week Against Cancer 2022, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues (ECL) have teamed up to relaunch an infographic telling the story behind environmental cancer prevention.
Infographic: Europe needs to ban glyphosate to protect farmers, our health and the environment
16th March 2022
Glyphosate is the most widely-used pesticide in the world, despite its well-documented negative health impacts. A new infographic from HEAL explains why the EU must ban glyphosate without delay.
HEAL and European Cancer Leagues launch infographic illustrating how Europe can prevent cancer by tackling environmental pollutants
25th May 2020
To mark the start of the European Week Against Cancer 2020, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the European Cancer Leagues (ECL) have teamed up to launch an infographic telling the story behind environmental cancer prevention.
Fact cards: Ban the toxic pesticide chlorpyrifos from our plates
17th June 2019
The chemical chlorpyrifos has serious negative effects on our health, especially for children. Yet it…
Letter to Members of the European Parliament: Health call for swift pesticide reduction to prevent disease and save on healthcare costs
16th November 2023
In view of the upcoming plenary vote on the Regulation on the Sustainable use of Pesticide Regulation (SUR) on 22 November, health organisations call on MEPs to swiftly advance the SUR negotiations and strengthen the protection of people in Europe against hazardous pesticides, as a key law to prevent disease.
Open letter to the EU Commission President: Stop the re-approval of glyphosate in light of new scientific evidence on cancer risk
15th November 2023
106 European civil society organisations call on EU Commission President von der Leyen to withdraw the proposal to renew glyphosate's approval, in light of new compelling evidence that the herbicide causes leukaemia in young rats.
Joint letter: Urgent call to protect European citizens by opposing glyphosate renewal in light of leukaemia risk
2nd November 2023
HEAL and several other organisations are calling on Permanent Representatives of the European Union to protect European citizens by opposing the Commission's proposal for a 10-year renewal of glyphosate's approval.
Letter: Health groups urge MEPs to adopt a health-protective EU pesticides reduction law
18th October 2023
The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and its members have written to MEPs in the EP ENVI committee, calling on them to support pesticide reduction in the EU, ahead of a vote on the draft Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR) on 24 October 2023.
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.
Letter: Health groups urge EU member states to support the non-renewal of glyphosate’s market license
12th September 2023
HEAL, ISDE Italy and the Belgian Independent Health Insurance Funds call on European governments to rely on independent scientific evidence and support a full ban of glyphosate’s market license, ahead of a meeting between member states’ representatives in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) taking place on 15 September.
Worrying news for health: MEPs reject watered down and hollowed out pesticides law
23rd November 2023
Members of the European Parliament voted against the draft text for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides Regulation (SUR), following a substantial hollowing out of the draft law. This is worrying news for health.
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 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.
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.
Carcinogenicity assessment was flawed for 4 out of 10 pesticides, new report shows
21st October 2019
A new PAN Germany and HEAL review of carcinogenicity assessments of pesticide active ingredients shows 40 percent of them are not carried out in compliance with existing European guidelines, leading to possible continued exposure of farmers and consumers to cancer-causing pesticides. In 30 percent of the cases significant details were missing from the dossiers, raising uncertainties about how European authorities came to a conclusion.
