During the Environment Council on Friday 13 October in Luxembourg, Environment Ministers from France, Italy and Luxembourg emphasised that the health of European citizens should not be treated lightly and that they have the right to live in a healthy environment where they can trust chemical substance risk assessments at an EU level when these products have an impact on their health.
Bolstered by the impact of the glyphosate affair on public opinion, which is causing more and more concern, in addition to the delay by the European Commission in presenting a European strategy for the effective management of chemical products in a non-toxic environment, these three ministers effectively stepped up to the plate to demand a more transparent chemical substance risk assessment in the EU and for the European Commission to launch a debate with member states about how to rectify certain problems identified in the risk assessments carried out by the European Food Safety Agency and the European Chemicals Agency, which have led to the controversy surrounding the effectiveness of this assessment. The public hearing organised at the Parliament on the Monsanto Papers demonstrated this issue (see EUROPE 11881).
The French Minister Responsible for Ecological Transition, Nicolas Hulot, who introduced the subject as an “any other business” item stated, “There can be major effects on human health and environment from certain chemical products. These are the subject of ‘increasing attention’ by our fellow citizens, who expect the European Union to protect the environment and human health. We must provide a strong political response to the concerns and doubts expressed. If not, the credibility of our entire assessment system could be in question… it is time to move from words into deeds”.
Minister Carole Dieschberg from Luxembourg and her Italian colleague, Gian Luca Galletti, both pointed out that the conclusions from the Environment Council on 19 December 2016 highlighted the importance of these changes and called for the Commission to develop a transparent and exhaustive strategy on reducing exposure to the risks from chemical products, whatever the source of exposure – glyphosate, nano-materials, endocrine disruptors, the cocktail effect, so as to guarantee a high level of environmental protection (see EUROPE 11692). This would be the first area of reform for which they are making a robust appeal in favour.
To build trust in the procedure for assessing and authorising chemical substances, the three countries are also calling for public data access, as well as the possibility of European agencies themselves launching complementary scientific studies so that they can compare these with those provided by the business sector. These studies would not be funded by European Commission agency budgets “but by other public and private sources”, explained the French minister. Ms Dieschberg said they “needed to work on both the method and credibility”. More research for improving identification methods of the dangers linked to substances should be a priority in the next multiannual programme, Horizon 2020.
France, Italy and Luxembourg are calling on the Commission to launch a debate over the next few months with member states and all the different actors concerned by these orientations and those announced to the Environment Council. The President of the Council, Siim Kiisler, concluded by providing assurances that the Council had indeed taken an effective note of these demands. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)