Health and Environment Alliance

Letter to PAFF Committee: Call to adopt without delay the Implementing Regulation harmonising the content and format of the pesticide use records

11th July 2022

58 organisations across Europe are calling on representatives of national governments and members of the PAFF Committee to adopt without delay the Implementation Regulation harmonising the content and format of the pesticide use records.

Phyto-Victimes web series shines light on farmers’ fight for recognition as victims of toxic pesticides

24th June 2022

A new web series launched by Phyto-Victimes, a French group supporting victims seeking legal justice and compensation following exposure to health-harming pesticides, brings into focus the long quest for recognition many farmers are forced to undergo in France and elsewhere.

Health groups welcome Europe’s plan to reduce pesticide dependency but demand stronger protection measures

22nd June 2022

Responding to the European Commission's delayed proposal for a Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR), HEAL and several health groups caution that the measures set by the new plan will not achieve a meaningful reduction of Europe's dependency on synthetic pesticides.

Joint statement: A strong EU Nature Package to tackle the climate, health and biodiversity crises

16th June 2022

HEAL has joined 24 civil society organisations to call on the European Commission to publish the EU Nature Package on the planned date to tackle the climate, health and biodiversity crises.

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.

Health and environmental groups raise alarms over EU Chemicals Agency’s failure to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen for human health

30th May 2022

Health and environmental organisations have expressed severe concerns after the European Chemicals Agency’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) concluded that the widely-used pesticide-active substance glyphosate does not meet the criteria to be labeled as a carcinogenic or genotoxic agent.

Joint statement: Urgent need for precise public data on the use of pesticides across Europe

30th May 2022

76 organisations call on EU Member States to support the European Parliament's proposals on the reform of the agriculture statistics regulation (SAIO).

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.

Delay to EU Pesticide Reduction Exposes Citizens to Increased Health Risks

23rd March 2022

Responding to the European Commission’s deferral [1] of today’s College discussion on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products Regulation (SUR) proposal contrary to what was originally announced [2], the…

Joint open letter on the publication of the revision of the legislation on the sustainable use of pesticides

21st March 2022

Joint open letter: Publication of the revision of the legislation on the sustainable use of pesticides (SUD)

21st March 2022

More than 60 health and environment groups have written to EU Commission President von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Timmermans and Commissioners Kyriakides, Wojciechowski and Sinkevicius to not postpone the much…

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.

Joint statement: The EU Commission must do better to transition away from synthetic pesticides

28th February 2022

70+ organisations have published ten demands to be urgently taken on board by the EU Commission for the revision of the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive.

Letter: 79 organisations call for better data on pesticides to better protect people and the environment

25th February 2022

Thousands of tonnes of pesticides are sold in the EU every year, yet we do not know which ones are used where and in what quantities. 70+ organisations are voicing their concerns on the EU reform of pesticides statistics.

European Parliament recognises the European Green Deal as a significant contributing factor to cancer prevention in Europe

17th February 2022

The European Parliament has adopted its non-legislative report responding to the publication of the EU Commission 2021 communication on Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, recognising the EU Green Deal is a key tool to limit people’s exposure to pollution and prevent cancer.

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.

HEAL urges MEPs to put spotlight on environmental health at EU French Presidency exchange

18th January 2022

The European Parliament will hold an exchange with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding the programme of activities of the French Presidency of the Council of the EU (January - June 2022) on 19 January 2022. At the onset of the third year of Covid-19 pandemic, HEAL underlines how this exchange is a major opportunity for MEPs to demand urgent, non-ambiguous and much needed EU action to address environmental pollution, which affects everyone’s health in our society, starting with the most vulnerable.

Restriction on harmful chemicals in single-use diapers: an opportunity to protect children’s health that Europe is on the verge of missing

9th December 2021

Single-use diapers are a familiar product for most families. But unfortunately, nappies can contain a range of chemicals that can harm human health. A restriction on such substances is an opportunity to protect health that might never see the light of day.

Glyphosate: EU toxicity assessment report still fails to address health risks of world’s most-used pesticide

25th November 2021

A review of the EU assessment report from the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) on the toxicity of the popular pesticide glyphosate confirms that the evaluation is still mostly based on studies and arguments provided by the chemical industry.

Glyphosate: Health and cancer groups ask France to publicly clarify contradictory position regarding the health effects of the world’s top-selling herbicide

4th November 2021

Is France making a dangerous U-turn on its position on glyphosate? In an open letter published today, HEAL, the Association of European Cancer Leagues and La Ligue contre le Cancer urge the French government to publicly clarify its position regarding the health risks posed by the substance.

Pesticides