Meeting for an informal meeting under the Danish Presidency in Aalborg (see other news), the European environment and climate ministers were subjected on Thursday 10 July to a test designed to determine their blood levels of PFAS (the so-called ‘eternal pollutants’).
This inspection was jointly initiated by the Danish Ministry of the Environment and Gender Equality and the following organisations: the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and the International Chemical Secretariat (ChemSec), in order to raise public awareness of the extent of PFAS pollution in Europe, the long-lasting consequences of which are damaging both to the health of citizens, in particular through the appearance of cancers, and to the environment.
The Danish Environment Minister, Magnus Heunicke, explained in a press release that this action – one of the first of the new Presidency – should demonstrate the urgent need for cooperation at European Union level.
Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have submitted a joint proposal to the European Commission with a view to banning the production, sale and use of virtually all PFASs under the European REACH chemicals regulation.
They will present – but not before next year – a proposal to revise the text (see EUROPE 13563/15), on the basis of the assessment currently being carried out by the scientific committees of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).
According to the EEB, which cites exemptions relating to pesticides in a press release, the current text is still incomplete. The organisation is therefore urging the Commission to impose a total ban on PFAS, and to plan for their clean-up, as well as making polluters accountable. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)