Brussels, 08/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament is keeping up the pressure on the sensitive issue of endocrine disruptors. On Wednesday 8 June, it adopted a joint resolution by the wide majority of 593 votes to 57, with 19 abstentions urging the Commission to publish scientific criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors.
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals which interfere with the hormonal system, potentially causing damage to health and the environment. Under the regulations in force on the marketing of biocidal products (Regulation 528/2012) and of plant health products (Regulation 1107/2009), the Commission ought to have specified scientific criteria for the determination of endocrine-disrupting properties of active substances and biocidal products no later than 13 December 2013. The Commission has, however, postponed that deadline arguing the need for a socio-economic study to be conducted. At the end of 2015, the General Court of the EU found that the Commission had breached EU law (see EUROPE 11455).
In their resolution, MEPs condemn the Commission not only for failing to deliver upon its obligation to adopt delegated acts under the terms of Regulation 528/2012 but also for not complying with the Court ruling (Article 266 TFEU). They call on it “to adopt immediately hazard-based scientific criteria for the determination of endocrine-disrupting properties”.
The Commission is likely to fulfil its obligations on 15 June when it publishes the findings of two studies (an analysis by substance and a socio-economic impact assessment) and two proposals for secondary legislation (a delegated act on the regulation on biocidal products and an implementing act on plant health products). (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)