Members of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Health and Food Safety are calling for a future EU chemicals strategy that effectively ensures a high level of protection for health and the environment and minimises exposure to hazardous chemicals.
They voted in this sense by a very large majority (65 votes in favour, one against and 14 abstentions) on the ‘Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability’, which is being developed in the framework of the European Green Deal and is expected in the autumn (see EUROPE 12484/13, 12513/15).
In their view, this strategy should be based on the precautionary principle and the polluter-pays principle and that its development needs to be more transparent. They recommend a hierarchy of actions in risk management that gives priority to prevention of exposure, phasing out hazardous substances and replacing them with safer alternatives.
They reaffirm the ‘Zero Pollution’ ambition for a toxic-free environment and links with other initiatives such as Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the EU biodiversity strategy.
MEPs urge the Commission to develop EU criteria for sustainable chemicals to encourage sustainable chemistry, materials and technologies, especially safe non-chemical alternatives.
Endocrine disruptors and pesticides. MEPs are advocating for a comprehensive EU framework on endocrine disrupters to effectively reduce the scale of exposure of humans and the environment to these chemical substances and to insert specific provisions in legislation on toys, food contact materials and cosmetics to treat endocrine disrupters as substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction.
The Commission is invited to respond to the European Parliament's calls to improve the authorisation procedure for pesticides in the EU and to speed up the transition to low-risk pesticides.
The voted text calls for accelerated action on priority chemicals, notably on provisions for a horizontal definition of known and suspected endocrine disrupters and actions to minimise exposure, an action plan to phase out non-essential uses of PFAS and the acceleration of the phasing-out of high-risk pesticides by 2030.
MEPs also call for additional regulatory measures to adequately protect vulnerable population groups, such as children, pregnant and nursing women and older generations.
An oral question to the Commission was adopted, asking the Commission what measures it envisages and how it intends to improve the functioning of the REACH Regulation.
The NGOs are delighted. In a statement issued on Tuesday 30 June, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) applauds MEPs for “for supporting ambitious proposals in favour of a shift towards a ‘health and environment-first’ approach”. This vote “provides a solid basis for a health-first approach”, says HEAL expert Natacha Cingotti, calling on the Parliament to follow it “in order to live up to Europe's Zero Pollution ambition”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)