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EDC Free campaign led by coalition of public interest groups

An informal coalition of European public interest groups, of which WECF is one, concerned about how endocrine disruptors (EDCs) may be harming health, has recently launched an EDC Free website outlining a campaign call to action for an EDC Free Europe

15.04.2013 |

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A diverse group of more than 25 campaign partners including trade unions, public health and healthcare professionals, advocates for cancer prevention, environmentalists and women’s groups launched a campaign call for action via a new website www.edc-free-europe.org and social media tools such as Facebook  and Twitter.

Campaign partners are deeply concerned about EDCs because they may be making all of us more susceptible to many serious and potentially lethal diseases and health disorders. These include reproductive and fertility problems, cancers, neurological impairment, and obesity and diabetes. People are most vulnerable to endocrine disruption during infancy and childhood, and especially before birth, when developing in the womb.

The website highlights how we are all exposed to hormone disrupting chemicals (or EDCs) in our daily lives. EDCs can be found in consumer products such as cosmetics, soaps, deodorants, toothpastes, shaving creams, mouth washes and cleaning supplies as well as clothes, electronic and consumer products. EDCs can be found as pesticide residues in the food we eat, and make their way into food when used in metal cans, plastic food packing or containers.

Recent human biomonitoring studies from across Europe have found certain EDCs in both children and their mothers. Just last month, the European Parliament called for more action to protect health and reduce exposure.
Despite growing evidence from the WHO and leading medical experts that exposure to EDCs is contributing to a range of health problems, governments have been slow in regulating and eliminating this exposure. The EDC Free campaign call for action arises from the urgent need to reduce people’s exposure to EDCs and states what the EU and national governments should do.

Soon, the EU will come out with a new EDC Strategy. The EDC Free campaign partners expect it to effectively prevent further ill-health associated with EDCs and lay out actions and time tables for eliminating our exposure, and be based on the most up to date science that is fit for purpose in the 21st century.

What we want
The campaign call for action’s four demands are:

1. A revamp of all relevant EU laws to reduce our exposure to EDC
2. Set out a timetable to capture all sources of EDC exposure ‘across the board’
3. Respond more swiftly to early warning signals and
4. Enhance public awareness of EDCs.

More information below:

• Visit the website here www.edc-free-europe.org
  
• Read the campaign call in full here – Text 
• Become a campaign supporter here
  

Organizing partner of the campaign is HEAL, the Health and Environment Alliance

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