France urges the EU to act now on Endocrine disruptors
Will the EU put an end to the long-lasting standstill on EDCs?
11.06.2014 |WECF
Whereas the Council of the ministers of environment of the 28 EU member states meets tomorrow on June 12th, an information note from France, supported by Sweden and Denmark, urges the European Union to take action now on Endocrine Disruptors (EDCs). After recently adoption a comprehensive national strategy on endocrine disruptors, France makes it clear that an EU-wide action is urgently needed to prevent risks and limit the exposure of populations and the environment to EDCs.
WECF France, which together with other French NGOs, supported and actively took part in the elaboration of the national strategy is particularly pleased with this position of France, both coherent with the package of measures contained in the national strategy and consistent with the need to put an end to the long-lasting standstill on the adoption of European criteria and strategy on EDCs.
In February 2014, WECF and its "Childprotect" partners had organized a Policy dialogue gathering European Commission's représentatives, MEPs, NGOs and scientists, so as to push for concrete measures to protect most vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women and children, from exposure to EDCs. "We do think the position of France is especially courageous, at a time where the precautionary principle, whatever its recognized legitimacy and legal value, is endangered and violently attacked through the misuse of various arguments - competitiveness, modernization, innovation - with the risk to undermine public health and environmental protection measures, as well as social and human rights, which make the very identity of the European Union", states Elisabeth Ruffinengo, advocacy officer at WECF.
