The European Union’s proposed method to identify chemicals in plants that can interfere with hormone systems – endocrine disruptors – as part of the EU regulations on pesticides and biocides was the centre of a heated discussion at a WTO meeting on health and phytosanitary measures on 27-28 October, the WHO reports.
Over 20 WTO member countries voiced concerns at the criteria proposed by the Commission last June. The US said the proposed definition would have far-reaching and detrimental consequences to food and agricultural production worldwide. It urged the EU to adopt a risk-based approach and provide scientific evidence for the criteria.
Argentina and China said the hazard-based risk approach that the EU has followed could give rise to the prohibition of imports that do not pose any risk to human health or the environment.
A number of developing countries added that the proposal, once adopted, would be highly restrictive to agricultural trade, particularly to exports from developing countries.
The EU informed WTO member countries that it had notified the proposed criteria to the WTO and organised an information session the day before aiming to explain the proposed legislative steps. At this point, this is only a proposal and it remains unclear when the criteria would be adopted, the EU delegation said.
In June, the Commission presented a range of criteria to help identify – and ultimately ban – endocrine disruptors (see EUROPE 11573). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)