HEAL advocates for policies to benefit peoples’ health and the environment
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Press contact: Nea Pakarinen nea@env-health.org
HEAL appeals for regulatory changes to protect health from chemicals in Poland
HEAL together with representatives from the medical, scientific, and civil society sectors, is calling on policymakers in Poland to develop a national action plan to reduce the health impacts of harmful chemicals and to support the revision of EU regulations. The appeal was presented on 10 June in Warsaw during the International Conference Preventing Disease by Reducing Exposure to Harmful Chemicals, held under the patronage of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the Polish Minister of Health, and the President of the Polish Supreme Medical Council.
HEAL response to articles in DIE WELT on NGO funding
HEAL response to the articles in the German newspaper DIE WELT “Secret contracts and powerful…
Letter to EU environment ministers: REACH revision and environmental health priorities
HEAL has sent a letter to EU environment ministers ahead of an Environment Council meeting on 17 June 2025, calling on them to ensure that the REACH revision will deliver the long-awaited improvement of human health and environment protection from harmful chemicals.
NGO letter: restricting PVC and its additives under REACH
NGOs are calling for the European Commission to take immediate and ambitious action to restrict polyvinyl chloride (PVC) under the REACH Regulation in a letter.
Letter to EU environment ministers: Health at the centre of EU climate mitigation and adaptation measures
HEAL has sent a letter to EU environment ministers ahead of an Environment Council meeting on 17 June 2025, where ministers will be considering the EU's 2040 climate ambition as well as preparedness and adaption needs. The letter calls on ministers to step up in placing health protection at the centre of EU climate policies.
HEAL conference: preventing diseases by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals
In June 2025 the Health and Environment Alliance is hosting an international conference in Warsaw, Poland, presenting the latest science on health and exposure to chemicals, and an outlook on necessary policy measures. The international conference will take place under the patronage of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Joint NGO response on proposed simplification of the CLP Regulation
The Health and Environment Alliance alongside the NGOs Chemsec, ClientEarth, Ecologistas en Acción and the European Environmental Bureau have provided analysis and recommendations as a response to the European Commission's call for written input in the context of the recent 'Reality Check Workshop' proposal for simplification of the CLP Regulation.
HEAL response to articles in DIE WELT on NGO funding
HEAL response to the articles in the German newspaper DIE WELT “Secret contracts and powerful…
Press note – The chemicals omnibus should not erase barriers to protect health
The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) held a ‘Reality Check Workshop’ on the potential simplification of chemicals legislation. The legislations on the table: Cosmetics Products Regulation and the Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging of chemicals (CLP). The presented proposals are very alarming: allowing carcinogenic substances more readily in cosmetics and personal care products and deleting the planned CLP update to make labelling in products more legible for consumers and workers.
Press note – Health groups urge to address burden of pollution in EU long-term budget deliberations
The May 2025 vote on the European Parliament’s priorities for the next EU long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034) included many important health considerations, including on financing for measures to prevent climate change and biodiversity loss. Unfortunately, MEPs failed to include financing to address pollution and the related health impacts. The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) calls on earmarking at least 10% of the next EU budget for zero pollution objectives across various funding instruments.
Press note – Health groups call for ambitious health protection in REACH revision
As the revision of EU chemicals legislation REACH is underway, the Health and Environment Alliance urges the European Commission to uphold its commitments on safer chemicals and ensure that ambitious health protections remain at the heart of the project.
Press note – Health groups welcome the revised EU Toy Safety Regulation
The Health and Environment Alliance welcomes the revision of the EU Toy Safety Regulation – with trilogue negotiations reaching an agreement in April 2025. It importantly expands the ban on carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic-for-reproduction substances to include endocrine disruptors and other hazardous substances.
Over 550 civil society organisations call for support for a strong and independent civil society
Ahead of a key vote in the European Parliament, HEAL is one of over 550 civil society organisations from 40 countries, including all EU member states, urging democratic forces to act for a strong and independent civil society, including through adequate funding.
Press note – It is time for a health-focused reform of REACH
As the EU Commission and representatives of member states gather on 3 April 2025 to discuss the reform of EU chemicals legislation REACH, HEAL stresses the importance of putting health at the core of the revision. The CARACAL meeting will see the EU Commission present their initial plan for reforming REACH.
Letter to EU environment ministers: REACH revision and environmental health priorities
HEAL has sent a letter to EU environment ministers ahead of an Environment Council meeting on 17 June 2025, calling on them to ensure that the REACH revision will deliver the long-awaited improvement of human health and environment protection from harmful chemicals.
NGO letter: restricting PVC and its additives under REACH
NGOs are calling for the European Commission to take immediate and ambitious action to restrict polyvinyl chloride (PVC) under the REACH Regulation in a letter.
Letter to EU environment ministers: Health at the centre of EU climate mitigation and adaptation measures
HEAL has sent a letter to EU environment ministers ahead of an Environment Council meeting on 17 June 2025, where ministers will be considering the EU's 2040 climate ambition as well as preparedness and adaption needs. The letter calls on ministers to step up in placing health protection at the centre of EU climate policies.
Letter to MEP SANT committee: Prioritise health as a core component of Europe’s new Preparedness Union Strategy.
HEAL has sent a letter to the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee (SANT) ahead of the European Commission's presentation on its new Preparedness Union Strategy — “Reinforcing Europe’s resilience in a changing world” to the committee.
Letter to EC President Von der Leyen calling to uphold climate, nature and public health priorities in the next EU budget
HEAL and eight more Brussels-based organisations have sent a letter to EU Commission President von der Leyen and all EU Commissioners, urging them to uphold climate, nature and public health priorities in the next EU budget.
Letter to MEPs: Civil society engagement at the heart of the European project
Ahead of the upcoming EP plenary vote on 7 May on the 2023 discharge: EU general budget – Commission, executive agencies and European Development Funds, HEAL has sent a letter to MEPs urging them to stand in support of a strong, independent and vibrant civil society.
Letter to MEPs: Pollution and health – 7 May plenary vote on A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world
HEAL has sent a letter to MEPs, regarding their upcoming vote on A revamped long-term budget for the Union in a changing world.
The Polish EU Presidency needs to protect health from climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss
Opinion by HEAL Poland Director Weronika Michalak: as the urgency to act on the triple crisis - climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss - becomes increasingly clear, I hope that the Polish Presidency of the European Union, which began on 1st January this year, will set the course for decisive EU climate and environmental policies aimed at protecting people's health across Europe.
Opinion: EU’s leaked strategic agenda makes zero mention of health
HEAL Director Génon K. Jensen writes for EUobserver on the importance to reflect the heavy toll climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are taking on health in the EU Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 .
Opinion: Playing games with children’s health
HEAL Programme Lead Health and Chemicals Sandra Jen writes for Social Europe: Toys are among the top products in the European Union reported for health-and-safety risks. They account for 23 per cent of all alerts for dangerous consumer products in the EU’s rapid-alert system. The position recently adopted by the Council of the EU on revision of the legislation on toy safety is thus concerning, notably in failing to support a bans on PFAS and bisphenols.
Opinion: The latest update of EU clean air standards could benefit Poland greatly
The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive is a great tool for the Polish government to swiftly shift from the costly smoggy past to a clear new era, with happier and healthier people in tow, Weronika Michalak, Director of HEAL Poland writes for Euronews.
The Polish government is in a key position to ensure an ambitious EU Air Quality Directive
The EU has a unique public health opportunity with the current revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive, and the newly elected Polish government can help ensure this. Watering the law’s ambition down with delays and exemptions would be a major, unacceptable setback for people in Poland - one of the countries with the highest economic burden to health from air pollution in the EU.
Opinion: How industry can launder a health-risking substance: Titanium dioxide should remain classified as carcinogenic within the EU
Titanium dioxide (TiO2), often used for its whitening capacity and found in daily products such as sunscreens and cosmetics, is suspected of causing cancer. But the hazard classification of the substance as a suspected carcinogen has been a long and winding road, with the scientific and political battle culminating in a legal row at the European Union’s highest court—to the detriment of citizens and workers - Natacha Cingotti writes for Social Europe.
Tribune collectif: La réglementation européenne sur les substances chimiques doit être révisée d’urgence
Alors qu’une consultation publique visant à restreindre l’usage des « polluants éternels » a été lancée le 22 mars, des mutuelles et des organisations spécialisées en santé environnementale rappellent, dans une tribune au « Le Monde », l’urgence d’une actualisation ambitieuse du règlement européen sur les substances chimiques.
Webinar: PFAS and cancer – what do we know about forever chemicals?
HEAL's Sandra Jen spoke at a recent webinar organised by the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL), to discuss the health impacts of PFAS pollution and specifically their link with cancer.
Webinar: Impact of pesticides on human health
The Health and Environment Alliance organises a webinar on the impact of pesticides on human health on the occasion of the Pesticide Action Week 2025. The webinar will see experts from the European Environment Agency and others present their work on this front.
HEAL webinar series on the health impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
To raise awareness of the impacts of PFAS on human health, HEAL is organising a series of three webinars in October 2024, each focusing on a different health impact of PFAS. The first webinar on 10 October focuses on impacts on the immune system. The subsequent webinars will focus on cancer and the impacts of exposure in early life and pregnancy.
HEAL webinar: Endocrine disruptors and women’s health
A recording of our latest webinar on the impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on women's reproductive health is now available.
Women’s health and endocrine disruptors: FREIA research project launches new webinar series
This webinar series from the FREIA research project brings together leading partners to talk about their scientific findings after five years of research into the effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on female reproduction.
Webinar – Ambient Air Quality EU Directive: A public health need
Salud por Derecho, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Ecologistas en Acción, IS Global and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) organise a webinar entitled "Ambient Air Quality EU Directive: A public health need". More...
