Brussels, 08/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - Reducing people's exposure to endocrine disruptors in their daily environment ought to be a priority in the EU's environmental legislative agenda and sit at the heart of a European cancer prevention strategy, stated MEPs active in cancer action, health professionals and environmental and health NGOs in Brussels on Wednesday 7 January.
The inter-party meeting of MEPs Against Cancer (MAC), jointly organised by the Association of European Cancer Leagues (ECL) and the environmental NGO Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), provided the opportunity to send out a strong message at a time when the results of European Commission work on the criteria for identifying these chemicals that are harmful to health are keenly awaited (see EUROPE 11200 and 11103).
“Effective regulation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) represents an important opportunity for the primary prevention of hormone-related cancers, including breast, prostate and testicular”, stated MEP Christel Schaldemose who chaired the meeting.
Arguing that “curbing exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals should become a central part of cancer prevention strategy in Europe”, ECL Director Wendy Tse Yared said: “We need to use every possible opportunity to prevent cancer so environmental prevention is important. Hormone-related cancers, especially of those of the breast and prostate, have been increasing in recent decades. Today, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women in Europe, and prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men”.
Toxicologist Dr Majorie B.M. van Duursen said that, “on breast cancer, numerous studies have shown that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as BPA, PBDE and pesticides, can adversely affect the normal development of the mammary gland, potentially making it more susceptible to cancers”. The European Commission was supposed to have determined criteria that allow endocrine disruptors to be identified, with a view to their being banned, by 31 December 2013, as part of the European rules on the marketing of biocides (Regulation 528/2012/EU) and pesticides (Regulation 1107/2009), but the Barroso Commission contented itself with launching a public consultation in September of last year and passing the buck to the Juncker Commission. (AN)